


I'll Follow You Down

by bigficenergy



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dancing, Drift Compatibility, Jaeger Pilots, Kaiju War (Pacific Rim), Mentions of canon Pacific Rim characters, Minor Character Death, Multi, Pacific Rim AU, Sparring, Whirlwind Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:08:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigficenergy/pseuds/bigficenergy
Summary: Once just a prolific donor to the Pan Pacific Defense Corps., Johnny Rose finds himself running the last functioning Shatterdome in Hong Kong, where the most devastating kaiju attack to date has left them with just two Jaegers and one pilot. Capable as Alexis Rose is, all Jaegers need two pilots to share the neural load required to operate them.Patrick Brewer is a promising but inexperienced pilot, who is expected to be Drift compatible with Alexis. Instead, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her brother, David, whose participation in the Kaiju War has been something of a mystery since he dropped out of the Jaeger program years ago. Frustrated with Patrick’s apparent lack of focus, Alexis seeks a distraction of her own, and stumbles into an unexpected opportunity for Drift compatibility elsewhere.Two Jaegers, a possibility of four pilots, and one shot at closing the Breach and stopping the kaiju for good.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Stevie Budd/Twyla Sands, Theodore "Ted" Mullens/Alexis Rose
Comments: 60
Kudos: 90
Collections: Reel Schitt's Creek Prompt Fest





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [ships_to_sail](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ships_to_sail/pseuds/ships_to_sail) in the [Reel_Schitts_Creek](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Reel_Schitts_Creek) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Any? All? Have at allll the drift compatibility
> 
> \---
> 
> A Pacific Rim AU someone actually DID ask for!
> 
> Pacific Rim is, without a shred of irony, my favorite movie. I’ve had some parts of this AU kicking around in my head for a long time. It’s completely possible that I never would’ve gotten around to actually writing this, were it not for this fest. So thank you to sullymygoodname and Distractivate, for, um, making that happen for us (or for me, anyway).
> 
> I keep wanting to note that some of the science and some of the battle sequences are maybe questionable, and then I remember that this is literally already science fiction and it’s all made up. I just really want to have done both the movie’s universe and the show’s characters justice! One thing I should note, though, is that I refer to the Jaeger G---- Danger as Lady Danger, as a lot of fans do, because the canonical name _is_ a pejorative, regardless of the original writer’s intentions.
> 
> A note on character deaths: The Pacific Rim characters who are said to have died are the same ones who die in the movie, I’ve just changed the timeline and circumstances of those deaths a bit (so spoiler warning, if you need that). The Minor Character Death tag is for one Schitt’s Creek character, and it happens “off-screen”.
> 
> Title inspired by the Gin Blossoms song “Follow You Down”, which is funny because I primarily know this song from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and I was originally also hoping to write an AU for that. (Sorry to the person whose prompt I dropped. It’s another one I’ve had ideas for for a while, but doing just one fic for this ended up being pretty ambitious for me).
> 
> I tried to explain things in-text enough so someone who isn’t as obsessively familiar with Pacific Rim could follow along, but even as an obsessively familiar fan, I spent a lot of time checking things on the Pacific Rim Wiki, which is wonderfully thorough and great for a terminology refresher.
> 
> Okay, I think that’s it for my rambling. Hope you enjoy!

“Okay, why do I have to be here?”

It’s raining, and David is standing beside his father at one of the landing pads outside the bustling Hong Kong Shatterdome, each of them sheltered under an umbrella. His dad also has an extra umbrella tucked under his arm. Johnny Rose may not technically be qualified to run this Shatterdome, for which he was once just a benefactor, but he knows how to dress the part of a leader, and he’s always prepared for a meeting.

“Because, David, the Rose family are the faces of what’s left of the Pan Pacific Defense,” Johnny says wearily. “Alexis is getting ready to meet this new pilot, and your mother is back to hiding in a cupboard, so it’s up to us to make a good first impression.”

The helicopter is nearly there now. That helicopter is delivering their final hope. One last pilot they were able to track down from somewhere in Ontario, who is both willing and able to get into giant robot with David’s sister and fight the giant alien monsters that have been emerging from an interdimensional Breach in the ocean for the past 12 years. David used to feel that his life and the world he lived in were preposterous. Now, as he watches the helicopter approach, he feels nothing.

“The world is ending, dad,” he mutters. “Who cares what kind of impression we make?”

Johnny doesn't fight him, just straightens up and puts a welcoming smile on his face as the helicopter touches down. They approach the aircraft to meet the passenger stepping off, who gratefully accepts the extra umbrella from Johnny.

“Mr. Rose,” the passenger says, shaking his hand. “It’s good to meet you.”

“Please, call me Johnny. Welcome to Hong Kong, Mr. Brewer.”

“Patrick,” the passenger, Patrick, insists. His eyes flit over to David.

“And this is my son, David,” Johnny says.

Patrick holds his hand out to shake and David accepts, not bothering to hide the way he's sizing him up.

“You’re not what I expected,” David says as they let go.

Johnny clears his throat warningly.

“It’s okay,” Patrick says, smiling. Then, to David, “What did you expect?”

David notes Patrick’s frame, compact but sturdy, his confident posture, and his gentle, brown eyes.

“I thought you’d be taller,” he settles on.

One corner of Patrick's mouth quirks up the slightest bit, but otherwise, he remains composed.

“Well. _You_ are exactly how I pictured you.”

David doesn't know what he'd been expecting him to say, but it hadn't been that. He's too slow to formulate a comeback, and then his dad is shepherding them toward the Shatterdome and out of the rain.

* * *

Patrick swears he can feel David’s eyes on him as they make their way to the lift. He waits until they’re inside - crammed between giant tanks of kaiju samples being transported to the lab by a surprisingly cheery scientist with a penchant for kaiju puns - to look over at David, who is… not looking at him. Instead, he appears to be very interested in the wide, silver rings he wears on three of his right fingers.

Of the members of the Rose family, Patrick knows the least about David, because the world knows the least about David. Alexis, the younger Rose sibling, became a household name as a gifted Jaeger pilot who also happened to have the looks and sparkling personality of a Hollywood star. Their mother is Moira Rose, an actual TV star, and their father, Johnny, had made a fortune in the video rental business. They were prolific donors to Pan Pacific Defense Corps. (PPDC) programs and causes.

And then, in a battle with one of the first kaiju to rate at Category IV, Alexis lost her co-pilot, Stavros. David, who was reportedly only scraping by in the Jaeger program, but who would likely be Drift compatible with his sister, was called upon to take Stavros’s place. The spotlight that followed the Rose family was harsh on David who, for reasons unforgivingly speculated about in the media, proceeded to drop out of the Jaeger program entirely. Not even the unfortunate name of Alexis’s eventual new co-pilot, Mutt Schitt, could redirect the aggressive media coverage of the eldest Rose child. While the stories went on, David himself all but disappeared.

Suffice it to say, Patrick wasn’t expecting David to be part of the welcome wagon. He’d only said what he said to David to throw him off, after being thrown off himself by David’s candor. He actually hadn’t known how to picture him, and hadn’t had much reason to try in a long time. Patrick’s parents were activists who both supported the Jaeger program and fought to change the PPDC’s negligent recruiting tactics, all while also working at a center for survivors, pilots and civilians alike. They had been among a sympathetic minority when the press was calling Alexis Rose’s brother selfish and cowardly.

From where Patrick is standing, David seems neither selfish, nor cowardly. There’s an archness to him, sure. But just like everyone else in this fight, David looks tired. He can stand up straight in his trench coat and do his hair into that neat coif, but he’s got the same weariness in his eyes as the rest of them. But he’s here. They’re all here, at the last functioning Shatterdome on Earth. That seems pretty brave.

The lift stops, and the scientist gets off with his samples first. The movement makes David look up, and suddenly his gaze is locked with Patrick’s. Patrick looks away quickly.

“You’ll have to forgive Dr. Mullens,” Johnny says, and it takes Patrick a moment to realize he’s talking about the punny scientist. “The jokes aren’t exactly tasteful, but he and Ray are basically all that’s left of the research division. We all have our ways of staying positive.”

They exit the lift and wind through the hallways that eventually give way to the heart of the Shatterdome. The place is still crawling with workers, but Patrick remembers touring a Shatterdome at the height of the Jaeger program. Compared to that, Hong Kong is now woefully understaffed.

“Patrick, I’d like you to meet Stevie.”

The dark-haired woman they’re approaching toward the center of the main floor turns at the sound of Johnny’s voice. She’s holding a tablet and has a flannel tied around the waist of her PPDC-issued jumpsuit. She doesn’t smile, but she accepts Patrick’s handshake.

“Stevie is my right-hand woman,” Johnny says, to which Stevie responds by wrinkling her nose. “She runs LOCCENT with Ronnie, and is the point person on all Jaeger restorations, so she can give you a rundown of our remaining Jaegers.”

Johnny looks at her expectantly, and it’s a few seconds before she says, “Oh you mean now?”

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Johnny says wryly.

Stevie sighs. “Follow me. This tour will be short.”

She takes them to the first of the two Jaegers. It looks fairly new, despite the technicians who appear to be working overtime on repairs to its right side.

“Striker Eureka,” Stevie announces flatly. “Mark-5. Fastest Jaeger to date. Donated by Herc Hansen after Sydney attack. If Striker hadn’t been decommissioned the day before the attack, they might have had the upper hand, and Chuck Hansen might have survived the fight. But without his son, and with Marshall Pentecost gone, Herc understandably didn’t feel up for joining us in Hong Kong.”

“Sydney was a tragedy, but maybe a little less rehashing, Stevie?” Johnny pleads.

“Fine. Striker was last piloted by Alexis Rose and Mutt Schitt,” she continues. “Right now, the plan is for you to pilot this one with Alexis, so we’re restoring Mutt’s… um, the right side, as fast as we can.”

Stevie leads them across the floor to the second Jaeger. Frantic repairs are being done to this one as well, specifically to its lower half.

“Lady Danger,” she says. “Mark-3. Restoration led by Mako Mori after the attack at Anchorage in 2020. Last piloted by Miss Mori, and the surviving Becket brother, Raleigh. They took out Otachi and survived a fall from the stratosphere, but due to lack of resources here, they’re recovering at the nearest functioning medical center. We’re hoping to have them back here soon, but it seems unlikely.”

“But we have a plan,” Johnny says. “Well, Marshall Pentecost had a plan. Before he passed, and before we lost the Kaidanovskys, he’d asked them about acquiring a bomb. The Russians came through. We’re strapping that bomb to Striker’s back and we’re going for the Breach.”

Patrick waits a moment for more information, but it doesn’t come.

“With all due respect, Mr. Rose, attacks have been directed at the Breach before, but they’ve always been deflected. What’s changed?”

“The kaiju are bigger and gnarlier, and they’re coming through at an accelerated rate,” Stevie explains. “By our calculations, the strain is leaving the Breach vulnerable for longer. If we time it right, we might stand a chance for once.”

“We stand a very good chance,” Johnny says. “Unfortunately, the last attack…”

He stops, but Patrick already knows. Leatherback, a Category IV with the ability to scramble electronic signals, took out the Kaidanovskys and the Wei-Tang triplets, leaving their Jaegers, Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon, beyond salvaging. They got Striker back online in time to just barely take Leatherback down. Mutt was killed in the process, and Alexis delivered the final cannon blast solo. Mako and Raleigh, piloting Lady Danger, were busy with the second Category IV, Otachi, whose surprise features included wings and a baby kaiju that survived outside the womb long enough to chow down on some black market scavengers. Mori and Becket survived, but it would be a while before they could pilot a Jaeger again. Alexis was the last pilot standing. But of course, every Jaeger requires two pilots, two minds connected in the Drift, to make it go. That’s where Patrick comes in.

Johnny clears his throat. “So, you’ll understand if we don’t want to waste any time. You’ll meet Alexis shortly for an initial compatibility test. David can show you to your quarters.”

Patrick looks at David and catches him having some sort of silent conversation with Stevie, communicating largely with their eyebrows.

“David!” Johnny says.

“Okay!” David snaps. “Where are we putting him?”

“The room across from yours is open.” Johnny tosses him a key, which David does not catch and has to pick up off the ground. “I trust you can find it.”

“Sure,” David says. He gestures at Patrick. “Right this way.”

* * *

Patrick stays in step behind David as they wind through more of the massive base, preventing any further awkward eye contact. There’s nothing to be done about the awkward silence though. He becomes so wrapped up in trying to think of something to say, he nearly runs into David when he stops abruptly.

“This is you,” David says, waving a hand at the heavy door to one of the vacant rooms in a long hall of living quarters.

“Thanks,” Patrick says, accepting the key when David hands it to him. “And I’m assuming since you’re across the way, I can just come over and knock on your door if I need anything?”

The look on David’s face is so very affronted, it almost makes Patrick laugh.

“I’m kidding,” he clarifies.

David eyes him with his lips pressed together and brows furrowed, then looks at his watch. 

“I’d say you have about 20 minutes before you need to go meet my sister, so I’ll leave you to… get ready or whatever.”

“Got it,” Patrick says, as David is already heading to his own room. “Thanks again.”

“Uh-huh.”

Patrick watches David until he’s opened his door, then turns to open his.

The room has a twin bed, an old desk with a chair, and a rusty, dented locker for some storage. Patrick drops his bag on the bed and pulls his small tin of keepsakes out of his jacket pocket, placing it carefully on the desk. He thinks about spending some time with the contents of the tin as he takes off his damp jacket and hangs it on the back of the desk chair, but he knows he should stay focused. He tugs off his sweater and the long-sleeved shirt underneath and turns to toss them on the bed, opening his bag to find a t-shirt he’ll be able to move more comfortably in. He catches movement out of the corner of his eye and realizes he should probably close the door. When he looks up, he’s surprised to find David looking back at him from his own doorway across the hall.

From the second they’d met, David’s gaze had only been critical or uninterested. Now, his eyes are wide, his lips are parted, and Patrick is willing to bet he’d see a blush if he were to look closer. David is a deer in the headlights, and then he’s gone, hastily retreating into his room and slamming the door shut.

Patrick goes slowly to his own door, his curious gaze still on the spot where David had just been. What had he been looking at? Patrick looks down at himself as he pulls his door closed. He’s not in as good of shape as he was during his initial pass through the Jaeger program. He’d found his way into the business side of things and spent years working to help keep the PPDC funded. When that became a lost cause, he went back to one of the last training facilities in North America, and spent less than a year alongside trainees, who were far too young for combat, trying to relearn everything. Was David judging him? He knows how it must look. The most successful Jaeger pilots were strong and battle-scarred. Patrick is stronger than he looks, and his simulator scores were near perfect, but he’s untested in the actual field. If he were David, and he had a sister, he’d be apprehensive about that sister going into battle with him too.

But there’s another more distant voice in Patrick’s head, one that he would never admit to, that is wondering if there’s another reason David was looking. It seems absurd to even consider in the midst of a war with alien sea monsters, but… was David checking him out? Patrick can’t imagine he’s David’s type. Even if he was, Patrick had never been with a man, or even thought he could be interested in a man.

But he’s also never felt anything like the rush he felt just now, catching David’s eyes on him.


	2. Chapter 2

Like most people, Patrick had gotten to know Alexis Rose through magazine covers, TV interviews, and video footage of successful missions. The Alexis Rose waiting for him in the training room is a different woman from back then. The dirty blonde waves that had always spilled over her shoulders are now pulled back into a sensible braid, revealing and undercut. There’s no trace of the flirtatiousness or vivacity she was once known for.

“Take a minute to warm up if you need,” she says simply, as she shakes Patrick’s hand. “I’m ready when you are.”

Alexis’s chosen method of testing compatibility is sparring with bo staffs, which is fine with Patrick. He’d seen footage of Alexis taking down men twice her size in a match, but if they do this right, the fight will be more of a dialogue than an attempt by each of them to kick the other’s ass. He hopes they do it right.

By the time Johnny and Stevie arrive to observe, Patrick is removing his shoes and socks, and joining Alexis on the mat that takes up most of the room. Alexis gets into a fighting stance, and so he follows her lead.

“Four points marks a win. Let the, uh, fight… commence?” Johnny says tentatively.

Alexis rolls her eyes, then focuses on Patrick. They begin to circle the mat slowly, but Patrick has no intention of making the first move. When he played baseball as a kid, he liked to take pitches until he saw a strike. Sometimes this would put him behind in the count, but he rarely stayed behind. Alexis takes the opening and strikes first, her staff slicing through the air, stopping just short of connecting with Patrick’s skull.

“One-zero,” Stevie calls out.

“You know we’ve started, right?” Alexis asks him.

Patrick smiles, then knocks her staff away with his, going in for his first point. His staff stops just short of her shoulder.

“One-one,” he says before Stevie can. “All good.”

He draws back into his stance, but Alexis catches him off guard, tapping him with her staff in the side he’s left unguarded.

“You sure?”

It’s a fair question, so Patrick goes on the offensive. It takes several strikes, but finally, he catches Alexis when she’s drawing her staff back, evening the score once more. Alexis seems more or less satisfied, but still not particularly impressed.

It’s after that point that they fall into a rhythm, and Alexis has to work harder to earn her third point, eventually knocking Patrick off balance. He goes down on one knee and finds himself face to face with the end of Alexis’s staff. He goes low in response, trying to sweep Alexis’s feet out from beneath her. She’s too fast, jumping out of the way and landing, ready to block Patrick’s next strike. He has her on her heels, though, and is about three moves from getting his third point.

And then, over Alexis’s shoulder, Patrick sees David walk in, joining his dad and Stevie.

The next thing he knows, he’s on his back with the wind knocked out of him, and Alexis is standing over him with her staff pointed at his throat. He’s done, four points to two.

“What the hell?” Alexis is saying, turning to their audience. “You said we’d be compatible!”

Patrick sits up just in time to see David storming back out of the room.

“You are, honey, you are,” Johnny says. “You’ll just go again until you get a feel for each other. Patrick just got here, and-”

“We don’t have time for this!” Alexis interrupts.

“Okay well, we probably have time for a quick break before we…”

Alexis throws down her staff, grabs her boots from the side of the mat and leaves.

“...try again,” Johnny finishes. “Sorry Patrick, she just…”

“No it’s okay, that was my fault,” Patrick says, standing back up. “I probably should’ve just warmed up more. I’m just gonna… take a lap.”

Patrick pulls his boots on and excuses himself, but instead of heading back toward his room, he goes the way David went. He hasn’t gotten far when a voice calls out to him.

“Hey!”

He turns and finds Stevie following him.

“Where ya heading?” she asks.

“I was just… I don’t really know, I’m…”

“Looking for David?”

Patrick laughs nervously, and doesn’t understand why.

“N-no. Why would I…?”

“I don’t know,” Stevie says, as if she might at least have a theory. “But I know where he is, so if you _are_ looking for him…”

“Okay. Okay, I… I wasn’t going to ask this. It’s not really my business, but… David was in the Jaeger program. Why isn’t he Alexis’s co-pilot?”

Stevie’s expression becomes somber, and Patrick immediately feels ashamed for asking. At the same time, he doesn’t understand why he’s so drawn to David, and wonders if eliminating some of the mystery surrounding him might help. Stevie looks at the tablet she’s holding.

“I have all your stats right here, Brewer,” she says. “Great simulation scores, physically and strategically competent, and you’re like the O-negative of Drift compatibility. Your adaptability to other pilots is an asset. It just doesn’t come that easily for other people.”

He’s heard that before, but in separate contexts. He knows his high probability of Drift compatibility is valuable. He also knows that his ability - or rather, his tendency - to compartmentalize had been a detriment to other aspects of his life.

“Look, David is stubborn and arrogant and inconsiderate a lot of the time,” Stevie continues. “He’s also terrified of losing Alexis. You don’t really know him, so give him a break.”

“Oh, I wasn’t going to give him a hard time.”

“So why are you going after him?”

Lucky for Patrick, who can’t seem to formulate an answer, Stevie smiles like she understands something he doesn’t.

“Below LOCCENT, there’s an old tech lab. You’ll find David there.”

“Thanks,” Patrick says, still unsure about why she’s helping him.

“You’re welcome,” she says. “And if you tell David I told you to be nice to him, I’ll get to you before the next kaiju gets a chance.”

Patrick smiles. “Were you and David ever tested for compatibility? I get the sense you’ve got a lot in common.”

Stevie laughs, a little sadly. “You called it. But it’s like I said. It doesn’t come easy for all of us.”


	3. Chapter 3

Alexis has always been self-sufficient, even before a chasm opened in the sea and she joined the frontline defense against the kaiju. Her family’s name and money weren’t exactly unhelpful, but even those things couldn’t get her out of every sticky situation she found herself in. When all else failed, she had her own quick thinking and resilience to rely on. But no one is invincible.

She’s always been good at not showing the toll her piloting years have taken, but after losing Mutt and most of the other pilots, pretending is becoming unbearable. So when their “final hope” turns out to be some wide-eyed, untested pilot who can’t hang in a basic scrimmage, she blows a fuse. And when she feels this close to a full meltdown, there’s only one place she wants to go.

When she first steps into the main lab, the only person she sees is Ray, standing on a ladder and copying equations from a tablet onto the giant blackboard. She doesn’t want to interrupt him, so she treads lightly, following the sound of clanging coming from behind a tank that appears to hold part of a kaiju brain. She peeks around and finds Ted crouched there, fussing with some equipment. Alexis taps on the glass of the tank, and Ted springs up, dropping the item he was holding with a metallic _clang_.

“Alexis!”

The commotion startles Ray, who yelps and drops his chalk.

“Sorry! Sorry,” she says to them both.

“It’s fine, all good,” Ted says. “Um, what are you doing here? I figured you’d be, you know…” He mimes some punches. “...with the new guy.”

“Yeah, the new guy kinda sucks,” she says, leaning against the tank. “Thought I’d come say hi while he nurses his wounds.”

Ted looks worried, and Alexis really doesn’t want to hear him ask if she’s okay. He doesn’t get the chance, though, as a voice interrupts.

“Can’t replace my boy.”

Alexis jumps before she realizes it’s just Roland, laying on the concrete ground beneath an long glass tank toward the back of the lab, gazing up at the specimen bobbing inside. Roland is Mutt’s dad, and was the mayor of an odd little town called Schitt’s Creek. He’s a strange and sometimes inappropriate man, but he and his family had brought the best and brightest who hailed from his town to the Hong Kong Shatterdome when it was hurting for experienced researchers and technicians. Ted and Ray in K-Science, and Ronnie, Stevie, and Twyla in J-Tech, all could have packed it in when their respective bases shut down. Instead, they answered the Schitt family’s call, much to the Rose family’s relief. Alexis knows from Roland’s wife, Jocelyn, that Roland and Mutt were never close, but it’s clear he would have done anything to support his eldest son.

“Sorry,” Ted whispers. “He says the kaiju organs calm him, so I let him hang out and watch them. Kind of like jellyfish at an aquarium.”

Alexis nods sympathetically. “No, Roland, of course not. No one is replacing Mutt. The new guy is basically just a warm body. A warm body who’s supposed to be compatible with me, but he…”

“Kinda sucks?” Ted finishes.

Alexis smiles. That’s why she comes here. Ted has always been able to get a smile out of her, and now, he’s one of the only things left that makes her feel grounded.

“So what are you working on?” she asks.

“Uhhh… just um…” Ted nudges the equipment he’d been messing with away with his foot. “Just some repairs. Repairs for the uh… wait, Alexis, don’t!-”

But Alexis has stopped listening. She kneels down and separates the items on the ground.

“Ted, this is Drift tech.” She looks up. “What are you doing with this?”

“It’s just a… teensy-weensy little experiment…”

Alexis unravels more cords and finds that they’re hooked up to the tank. Specifically, to the brain inside the tank. She stands up and gets right up in Ted’s face.

“A teensy-weensy experiment?!” she exclaims, backing him away from the tank. “That’s what you call digging outdated Drift equipment out from who knows where and using it to mindmeld with a kaiju brain?!”

“W-well I couldn’t get approval for new Drift equipment-”

“That is _so_ not the point.”

“Okay just… hear me out,” he says, stopping and holding his hands up. “There are these two scientists in Germany. Ray’s Breach activity predictions are based on ones we get from one of them…”

“Dr. Gottlieb hasn’t been wrong,” Ray chimes in from the blackboard.

“Exactly,” says Ted. “And the other guy, Dr. Geiszler, well… he has some interesting theories. Look at this.”

He leads her over to a cart that holds two trays, each with a hunk of kaiju on them.

“Look at these samples. What’s the difference?”

“Ugh, I don’t know, they look the same.”

“That’s because they are, but also they aren’t.” He points to the one on the right. “This one is from the recent Sydney attack.” He points to the one on the left. “And this one is from _six years ago_ , in Manila.”

Alexis shakes her head, not getting it.

“They’re clones!” Ted says. “And if they’re all clones, they might all be connected. If I can tap into one, I can tap into all of them.”

“But why? Why would you want to do that?”

“For y-” Ted stops himself. “I just… if there’s something I can do to help you get the upper hand in the next fight, I want to do that.”

Alexis’s heart skips a beat, but she pushes the feeling down.

“Ted, that’s… so sweet,” she says. “But you can’t do this. Isn’t Geiszler that guy who’s, like, really into kaiju? Like _too_ into kaiju? Like his whole body is covered in kaiju tattoos? You really trust his theories that much? For all you know, this could kill you.”

“I have to try.”

“No, you don’t. I can’t let you.”

“Alexis-”

“No Ted.”

Their conversation is interrupted once more.

“I’ll do it.”

They both look to find that Roland has made his way to the brain tank, put on the Pons headset, and has the switch in his hand.

“So I just hit this?” he asks.

“Roland, don’t!” Ted shouts.

But it’s too late. Roland hits the switch and the headset lights up with a crackle. His eyes roll back in his head and he convulses for several seconds. Inside the tank, the brain twitches and jerks too.

And then it’s over. The remote sparks in Roland’s hand and he drops it, crumpling to the ground. Ted rushes over, and Ray climbs down from his ladder to help, but Alexis stays frozen where she stands. She wants to help, knows she should, but she’s stuck on the thought that that had nearly been Ted. She’s not sure what she would have done if he’d…

“Okay, he’s coming to, help me get him up, we gotta get him to the med bay,” Ted is saying to Ray, and Alexis watches as they heave Roland to his feet, wrapping one if his arms around each of them. His eyes are twitching and his nose is bleeding.

As the men move together toward the exit, Alexis snaps out of it and starts to follow. She’s almost out of the lab when something on Ted’s desk catches her eye. She stops to take a closer look and, yes, that’s a folded piece of paper has her name on it. She picks it up, opens it, and has to sit down in Ted’s desk chair when she reads the words inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but if you've seen Pacific Rim: Uprising, and if we kept that trajectory, can you imagine what this means for Roland? Hilarious? Terrifying? Both?


	4. Chapter 4

He hates to admit it, but it hadn’t actually occurred to Patrick that David might be using the lab that Stevie sent him to to _work_ in.

The lab is mostly abandoned, except for a pilot’s Drivesuit on a stand in the middle of the room. David is sitting on a stool beside it, doing something with a soldering iron. Patrick clears his throat gently, but David still jumps nearly a foot when he realizes he’s not alone. He scoffs when he sees it’s Patrick, reaching over to put the soldering iron on a nearby work bench and taking off his gloves and safety goggles.

“Aren’t you supposed to be stick-fighting with Alexis?”

“She took off right after you left.”

David gestures around him. “Well, she’s not here.”

“I’m not here for your sister.”

David’s brow furrows in confusion. “Um, okay. Then what do you want?”

“To apologize, I guess,” Patrick says, stepping further into the lab. “That wasn’t exactly an award-winning performance that you saw. I’m sure you want better for your sister, and I promise I won’t make a mistake like that again.”

“Oh.” David looks surprised, and then he turns away so Patrick can’t see his face. “Yeah that’s… I should hope so. That you’d, um, make sure that didn’t happen again.”

“Right,” Patrick says. David doesn’t look back up, but Patrick isn’t ready to leave. He looks at the Drivesuit. “Is that Alexis’s?”

David looks at him, then at the suit. “Yeah. Just making some upgrades.”

“I didn’t know there was anyone out there still working on upgrades.”

“There isn’t,” David says. “Anyone out there. Just here. It’s just me. They’re my upgrades.”

There it is. Patrick’s first window into David Rose.

“So you like tinkering with suits?”

Patrick had meant it as a friendly question about hobbies, but David clearly isn’t taking it that way. He scoffs again, fire burning in his eyes as he stands and paces around the suit.

“Patrick, can you tell me the version name of the last suit you wore at your training facility?”

“Um, probably not,” Patrick confesses, crossing his arms. “It was at least a couple of versions out of date.”

“But you remember the prefix?”

“Sure, it was a DR-something. DR-” 

And then it clicks. Patrick smiles and shakes his head. “You’re about to tell me that DR isn’t an abbreviation of Drivesuit, aren’t you?”

“To be fair, we were counting on people assuming that,” David admits.

“But DR is David Rose,” Patrick says. It’s redundant at this point, but he just… felt the need to say his name. “You designed a whole new generation of Drivesuits. Highly improved Drivesuits, in fact.”

“So just a bit more than _tinkering_ ,” he says, but he doesn’t seem mad anymore. He’s just giving Patrick a hard time.

“No kidding,” Patrick breathes, impressed. “So why the anonymity?”

“Well,” David says, sitting back down on his stool, “the family PR team wanted to make a big announcement. I’d gotten some distance from the scandal of bailing on Alexis, and we were about to release my first suit. And then right before the launch, another wave of tabloid garbage came out.”

Patrick’s face falls. “I remember.”

“Yeah. When a story drops about how you slept with your trainer in the Jaeger program, it’s probably not a good idea to follow that up with an announcement about how you were fast-tracked to a top position at the leading Drivesuit manufacturer. The family reps had already been worried about the nepotism angle. So I just told them to shut the announcement down. I knew my work was good. I didn’t need other people to know. They wouldn’t have believed it anyway.”

“I’m… so sorry,” Patrick says, for lack of a better comfort to offer.

David shrugs. “It all seems pretty meaningless now.”

In an attempt to bring things back to celebrating the work he now knows David does, Patrick asks, “So what upgrades are you making? Do I get them too?”

“Okay, as long as I’m being overly honest with a person I just met, I was actually just doing basic damage repairs,” David says, with a guilty little smile that Patrick really enjoys. “But yesterday, I added a new coating containing kaiju compounds.”

“Wow. What will that do?”

“The idea is that it will further decrease exposure to kaiju toxins. Of course, I don’t have the resources to test this theory, but I figure it can’t hurt. It was actually Ted’s idea, the researcher we rode up with, with the kaiju guts and the jokes. I’m pretty sure he’s in love with my sister.”

“Ah,” Patrick says. “Well, can’t really blame him.”

The tinge of humor drains from David’s face, and Patrick realizes belatedly what that might have sounded like. He does admire Alexis, but as a pilot more than anything. He’s about to clarify that, but then David turns away, and Patrick senses him putting a wall back up between them.

“I should get back to work,” David says.

“Yeah, okay.” Patrick lingers for a moment, but David has already begun busying himself with his tools, so he turns to leave.

“I never liked it,” David says suddenly.

Patrick spins back around. “Never liked what?”

“The stick-fighting. As a test for compatibility. I never liked it.”

Patrick takes a step back into the room. “I see. How do you prefer to test for compatibility?”

David smiles wistfully. “After my class’s initial compatibility trials, our trainer called out the four poorest performers. This included me, obviously, and Stevie too. We thought we were in trouble, but he ended up taking us all to an arcade. Are you familiar with Dance Dance Revolution?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Stevie and I danced out perfect score after perfect score. Same with the other pair. Other trainers didn’t take that method seriously, but it was the first time I felt like maybe I could stick out the program.”

Something about the way David speaks about this memory makes Patrick wonder if this trainer, who had tailored the experience so perfectly to the student, had been more than just an ill-advised fling, as the gossip rags had put it. He doesn’t ask, though.

“Well unfortunately, I don’t think we have access to DDR here,” he says.

“The dance part was the takeaway. You don’t need the game. Dancing is the test. You might be able to convince Alexis to go that route.”

“Huh.”

“What?” David asks with a smirk. “You can dance, can’t you?”

“Of course I can,” Patrick says, too defensively.

“Then prove it.” He steps away from the work table and toward Patrick.

“With you?”

“Is that a problem? I’ll let you lead. I assume you’d prefer that.”

“I can go either way,” Patrick says, again, too defensively. David gives him a knowing look, and Patrick rolls his eyes in defeat. “I’ve only ever led.”

“That’s why I’m going to let you start by leading,” David says, brushing past him. Patrick turns to watch him pull a speaker off a dusty shelf and take it to a nearby outlet. He then takes an old iPod out of his pocket and hooks it up. The opening strings of “At Last” fill the room, and Patrick smiles as David walks back over to him.

“I know you’re not dissing Etta James,” David says.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Patrick holds out his left hand, and David takes it with his right. David’s other hand settles easily on Patrick’s shoulder, while Patrick second guesses the placement of his hand on David’s back, starting it at an already safe spot, then sliding it up higher toward his shoulder.

When he moves, David moves with him. Immediately, he prefers this over the bo staffs.

“Told you I could dance,” Patrick says.

David huffs, but this close, Patrick can see the way the corners of his eyes crinkle, even when he’s trying to hold his smile back.

“It’s a simple box step, let’s not get carried away,” David says. “We need to make sure you won’t fall out of step.”

“Why would I-”

At that moment, David switches the placement of his hands, grabbing Patrick’s left hand in his right, and placing his left hand high on Patrick’s back. Patrick’s newly freed hand instinctively goes to David’s shoulder, and then David is moving them in the other direction, taking the lead. Patrick manages to only have to compensate for a fraction of a step before they fall back into an easy rhythm.

“Following’s not so bad, right?” David asks, his voice hushed and intimate in a way Patrick wasn’t ready for.

“I only said I’d never done it,” Patrick says.

David ducks his head a little when he smiles at that, and Patrick suddenly feels a pull within him, a magnetic need to be closer, when they’re already so close.

“Take it back from me,” David says, and it takes a second for Patrick to realize what he means. He starts to refocus on the music, the beats, the steps, but David shakes his head.

“Don’t count. Just feel it.”

Patrick takes a deep breath and relaxes, like he would in preparation for the neural handshake that kickstarts a Drift connection. They’re moving, moving, moving with the music. Patrick drops his hand from David’s shoulder, but instead of also letting go of David’s hand, he raises it, coaxing David to do a turn under his arm. When the come back together, Patrick takes the lead back, allowing the hand David isn’t holding to settle on the small of his back, drawing them closer. There’s a sparkle in David’s eyes, like maybe he’s a little impressed.

“Threw you a bit of a changeup there, didn’t I?” Patrick says.

“Um, I don’t know what that means. I don’t play cricket.”

Patrick grins. “So do we just keep doing this? Switching back and forth?”

“You can mix it up, like you just did,” David says. “It’s the same as sparring. The point is that both pilots should be able to anticipate each other’s moves and adapt. I’ve technically called all the shots so far, so by all means…”

In motion so fluid that Patrick even surprises himself, he moves David’s hand to his shoulder, takes a wider step to the side, which David matches instinctively, and brings his now-free hand to join his other low on David’s back, dipping him gently to the side.

“...make a move,” David breathes, belatedly finishing his sentence.

It’s not a very deep dip, so when David’s hands squeeze Patrick’s shoulder and bicep, it’s not likely for fear of falling. But his fingers do flex, and his eyes are wide, his lips parted like before, when he’d been looking from across the hall. This wasn’t a particularly physical dance, and yet, Patrick is having a hard time catching his breath.

“ _Ahem._ ”

Patrick nearly drops David at the sound of the voice from the doorway, but manages to keep his grip and help to pull him up upright. They look over to find Stevie watching them with a smirk.

“I think this show is ready for the main stage,” she says.


	5. Chapter 5

Striker Eureka is the first and only Mark-5 Jaeger. So when Patrick steps into the left side of Striker’s cockpit, it’s his first time in a Mark-5. And yet somehow, the splendor of the most advanced J-tech in the world is instantly overshadowed by the sight of David, joining him from the right. They’re wearing the same Drivesuit, but David just wears it _so much better_. It’s like he was born to don the sleek, metallic black of the form-fitting armor, and Patrick thinks that he’d probably designed them at least somewhat to his personal taste. He looks taller, his shoulders look broader, and… Patrick realizes that not only has he been staring, but David is smirking at him for it.

“You… clean up nice,” Patrick says dumbly.

“And seeing you in _my_ suit, I finally buy you as a pilot,” David teases.

Patrick’s face is starting to hurt from all the smiling he’s been doing. David’s face, however, becomes serious.

“This doesn’t generally go well for me.”

Patrick’s heart flutters in his chest. “This?”

“Drifting. Fighting. All of… this.”

 _This. Right._ “We’ve got this,” Patrick says. “And if you need something to hang onto, there’s definitely a memory of my cousin Abby dressing me up like a princess when I was little that’ll be swirling around in there.”

“Oh, well now we have to Drift just for that alone,” David laughs.

 _“Comms are on, guys,”_ Stevie’s voice interrupts from the overhead speaker. _“Just FYI.”_

* * *

The banter between David and Patrick only further solidifies Stevie’s theory that they’ll Drift well together. The banter is also making her a little nauseous, so she reminds them that she’s there, in the LOCCENT control center, listening to everything they’re saying.

“So why exactly am I letting you do this?” Ronnie asks, coming up behind her.

“Because you trust my instincts?”

“I actually do. I trust you. I trust David. Who I don’t trust is the new guy.” Ronnie shakes her head. “The man looks like a thumb.”

“You’re in charge, Ronnie. You can shut this down if you want.”

“No no. I’m curious now.”

“Oh!” The bright little exclamation comes from Twyla, an unshakably optimistic technician who, ironically, had been hand-selected by no-nonsense Ronnie at her first Shatterdome, and has worked with her ever since. She joins them at the control panel. “Who’s in Striker? I saw Alexis in the hall with Ted just a minute ago.”

“Stevie put David in there with the new guy,” Ronnie explains.

“Oh. Well that makes sense.”

“How do you figure?” Ronnie asks.

“I did a tarot reading for David the other day, and the Death card showed up.”

Ronnie and Stevie both stare at Twyla incredulously.

“Oh, the Death card doesn’t necessarily mean literal death!” Twyla explains quickly. “It often signals change or transformation. But it could also mean the end of something.”

“Like _life_?” Ronnie asks.

Twyla pays that question no mind, and turns her attention to Stevie. 

“Hey, not to question your decision here, you certainly know better than I do, but are you at all worried that with David’s track record-”

“We’ll have another Mori-Becket situation?” Stevie finishes. “It crossed my mind. That’s why I put them in Striker. Much easier to shut down remotely than Lady.” She turns to Ronnie. “But just in case, can you tell all non-essential crew to clear out?”

Ronnie rolls her eyes, but turns to give the order to the room, in English and Cantonese. When everyone is out except for Stevie, Ronnie, Twyla, and a few other engineers, Stevie speaks into the comm.

“You guys ready?”

 _“No,”_ comes David’s response, even though they are very much strapped into their rigs, helmets on, ready to go.

“Too bad,” Stevie says. “Initiating neural handshake in five… four… three… two…”

* * *

Patrick closes his eyes and lets his memories flow, leaning into the flow of David’s memories. Awash in blue light, he sees David as a child, baking cookies with someone who must be a relative or a nanny. He sees a slightly older kid-David reading a book, far removed from other children playing in a park. He sees a teenage David with straightened hair and glasses, sketching in a notebook. A young Alexis makes an appearance in that memory, leaning over David’s shoulder and poking at his sketch until he bats her away. He witnesses that same teenaged David kissing a boy under some bleachers, and then an older David at a party, making out with a guy and a girl. The next memories take place in a Jaeger program training facility. First, David is slow dancing with another man in a training room. It’s even more intimate than Patrick’s dance with him was. Next, he’s with Stevie in one of their bunks, smoking and laughing, shotgunning one moment and kissing the next. David’s parents finally make an appearance in a memory where the three of them are huddled in front of a TV, watching footage of Alexis and Stavros’s Jaeger taking down its first kaiju. He feels David’s pride, and his fear. Then there’s David, in his element at last, working at a drafting table, approving mockups, doing QA testing on Drivesuits himself. That memory falls away and Patrick briefly feels weightless as he looks down from a helicopter at a damaged Striker Eureka.

And then Patrick is seeing himself, for the first time, through David’s eyes. Patrick had wondered if maybe he’d catch a glimpse of their exchange from their bedroom doorways, but instead, he’s seeing himself step off the helicopter, taking the umbrella from Mr. Rose, and looking right into David’s eyes. He smiles. Had he smiled like that? Patrick hadn’t thought David’s first impression of him had been so… fond.

 _Neural handshake complete_ , the Jaeger’s AI voice announces, and Patrick opens his eyes. He moves his right hand first, looking to see David on his right doing the same thing, and then they both raise their left. They bring their right fists into their left palms and the Jaeger does the same with a metallic crash.

 _“Neural handshake holding_ very _strong, you two,”_ Stevie says into the comms. _“I knew it!”_

“Hey, we did it!” Patrick says, and David lets out a relieved laugh.

Their hands drop to their sides, and so do Striker’s. When Patrick faces forward again, his mind is suddenly filled with an image from his own memory. It’s Rachel, the last time he saw her, letting her long red hair fall over her face so he can’t see the tears he’s caused.

There’s a blip in the connection, no more than that of a flickering lightbulb. He shakes it off.

 _“Striker, what happened?!”_ Stevie asks frantically.

“It’s nothing, I’ve got it under control,” Patrick says.

_“Not you! David is way out of alignment!”_

Patrick looks over at David and finds him staring straight ahead, unmoving.

“David?” Patrick calls. “Hey David, come on, we had it, you’re okay. David!”

But it’s too late. David must have latched onto a memory and followed it back into his mind. They’re still connected, so Patrick closes his eyes and follows him in.

He finds himself back in the memory in the helicopter, above a damaged Striker Eureka. This time, instead of seeing it from David’s perspective, it’s like he’s there with David, watching him watch the memory unfold. David is in his coat and his regular clothes, wearing a headset, while Patrick is in his Drivesuit from the present. He figures they must be watching the aftermath of the last battle, and gets that confirmation when, from out of sea, a battered, but still vicious kaiju bursts forth and heads right for Striker, where it’s beached on the shore.

“It’s alive,” David whispers in horror. “IT’S ALIVE!” he repeats, shouting this time. “WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!”

“We’re search and rescue!” the helicopter’s pilot shouts back. “We’re not armed!”

David pounds his fists desperately on the window, and in the present, Patrick feels his body being moved. Their connection to the Jaeger is so strong, and David’s emotions are so intense, he’s moving Striker into attack stance without Patrick’s help.

* * *

It had been going so well. David was fine one minute, and then he was lost, leaving the crew in LOCCENT staring right into Striker’s open chest, full of missiles ready to launch.

“Crap,” Ronnie says. “It is Mori-Becket all over again. Shut it down, Stevie!”

“I know, I know, shutting down,” she grumbles, flipping the convenient, emergency killswitch. She’s not prepared for the switch to spark, and then for the whole control panel to blow. And then, for good measure, the panel catches fire.

“Oh fuck,” Stevie gasps, stumbling back.

“Kill the main power line! Do it now!” Ronnie shouts as she retrieves a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.

By the time Stevie finds her bearings, Twyla is already trying to disconnect the giant power line. She’s pulling with both hands, a foot braced on the panel where it’s plugged in, and it’s still not budging. Stevie runs over and pulls with her, their combined strength finally disconnecting the whole thing, causing them to stumble back and fall into a heap together. The lights in LOCCENT flicker out and back on, systems disconnecting and immediately starting back up when the backup generators kick in. All systems except for Striker which, luckily, will take some time to boot back up. 

“Are you okay?” Stevie asks, even though she cushioned Twyla’s fall and knocked her head against the ground. She realizes Twyla is cradling one of her hands gingerly and sits up to look. Her palm is pretty badly burned. Stevie feels sick. She should have gone for the powerline before Twyla ever had to.

“It’s fine,” Twyla sniffles.

“No, it’s not. Come on.” She stands and helps Twyla up. She nearly walks right out of the room with her, then realizes she should probably be the one to clean up the mess and check on David and Patrick.

“Oh, uh, Ronnie, can you-”

“On it,” Ronnie says, wrapping an arm around Twyla. “You do _not_ want me to be the one to deal with those two.”

But before Ronnie and Twyla can make it out, and before Stevie can get to the comms and check in with Patrick, Johnny enters LOCCENT, looking first flummoxed, then furious.

“What the _hell_ is going on here?”

* * *

Inside the memory, Patrick has a hard time hearing LOCCENT, so he doesn’t assume they’ve shut them down, and continues to try to reach David. He wants to be gentle, but he has to shout over the sound of the helicopter.

“David, it’s okay,” he says. “You chased the R.A.B.I.T., this isn’t actually happening. Alexis made it out, remember?”

But David is still watching out the window, tears in his eyes, as Leatherback gets closer and closer to Striker. At the last moment, the panel on Striker’s chest opens and the remaining missiles fire until finally, more of Leatherback’s glowing blue insides are visible than its rough, gray exterior. The dead kaiju flops into the shallow water near the shore.

David is still hyperventilating, so Patrick kneels beside him. He’s not sure this will work, but he has to try. He places his right hand on David’s left shoulder, turning him so they’re facing each other. Then, he takes David’s right hand in his left.

“David,” he says. “That out there is the past. Alexis is okay. You know that. And this?” Patrick squeezes his hand and his shoulder. “This was today, remember? Come back. Come back to me.”

Finally, David is able to meet his eye. Patrick holds his gaze, holds _him_ , and after a moment, the memory falls away. Patrick opens his eyes and feels that Striker is no longer live, so he disconnects himself from his rig, pulls off his helmet, and runs to David’s side, just as David’s knees buckle. Patrick catches him, helps him disconnect and get his helmet off too, then sits with him on the floor of the cockpit while he comes back to himself.


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Alexis makes it over to the med bay, Roland is conscious and sitting up in bed, chatting away despite the broken blood vessels in his eyes. Ted and Ray are still with him, and Jocelyn is by his side with their baby son, Roland Jr. When Ted notices Alexis outside the room, he excuses himself.

“He’s gonna be okay,” he tells her. “And…” He lowers his voice to a whisper. “I’m sorry if this sounds insensitive, but I was right!”

“So he saw something in the kaiju’s brain?”

“They _are_ clones, like we thought,” he says. “He said it was like an assembly line. And the theory about the strain on the Breach? Also true. They’re churning out bigger, fancier kaiju at a higher rate and it’s taking a toll!”

“That’s great news,” Alexis says, unenthusiastically.

“Yeah! There is also the fact that they seem to be following the orders of ancient beings, and they’ve had their sights set on our world going all the way back to the dinosaurs, but the uptick in what they’re sending through the Breach might mean we have them scared.”

“Or they know we’re out of resources and are gearing up to take us out once and for all.”

“Yeah okay, I guess that’s another way to look at it.” He sighs. “Alexis, I’m sorry if this seemed reckless. I really just wanted to help-”

Ted stops short as Alexis pulls the letter out of her pocket, unfolding it so he can see her name as he’d written it on the back. He blushes.

“Okay, so that,” he says with a nervous laugh. “You were only supposed to see that if-”

“If you’d died?!” Alexis cuts in, smacking the letter in the center of his chest. “You only would have said these things to me after you were gone?!”

Ted takes the wrinkled paper, hanging his head.

“How is that fair?” Her voice falters. “You know that I’ve lost two co-pilots now. I thought we were friends, how could you… how is that fair?”

“It’s not,” he admits. “It just didn’t feel right to tell you. I mean, before, when you were with Mutt, it would have been inappropriate. And even after you broke up, you just… you have more important things to worry about. Alexis, I like you so much. I like when you come by the lab and watch me dissect stuff, even though you make faces the whole time. I like that you’re tough as nails, but when someone makes you happy, you do that little ‘boop’ thing to their nose. You’re a beacon of light for the whole world, but you still take the time to be a light in my everyday life here. If I told you how I felt and it made you uncomfortable, or I made you mad for wasting your time, and you stopped coming by… I just felt like that would be worse than never telling you that I… that I love you.”

There’s not a lot that surprises Alexis anymore, and she’d just read these sentiments in Ted’s letter, but hearing him say it out loud leaves her stunned. Early on, she’d kind of figured he had a crush on her, but since she was rarely single, nothing ever came of it. So they fell into an easy friendship. Like her, he’d always been so serious about his work. Maybe that’s why it felt safe to hang out with him. They were on the same page. And after reading Ted’s letter and hearing him explain himself, she thinks that maybe this is another page they could both be on.

She takes the letter back from him, and after a pause, she draws back to punch him in the shoulder. Ted sees it coming and catches her fist in both of his hands.

“Sorry,” he says, letting her hand go. “Instinct. You probably deserve to get a swing in.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “Go ahead.”

But a different idea is brewing in Alexis’s mind.

“You went through pilot training before you switched to the science division, right?” she asks.

He opens his eyes. “Um, yeah. Gosh, that was a long time ago. But I actually still do some of the workouts I learned from training. Good way to keep in shape.”

Alexis smiles. “Good. You’re coming with me.”

* * *

“What are we doing here?”

Back at the training room where Alexis had wiped the floor with Patrick earlier, she’s removing her boots and her sweater once more.

“You said I deserve to take a swing. Let’s make it a fair fight,” she says, stepping onto the mat. “Come on, get that coat off and square up, Mullens.”

“Alexis…”

“Ted. You said you wanna help me, right? So humor me.”

He still looks confused, but he acquiesces, taking off his lab coat, sweater, and boots, leaving him in a t-shirt and work pants that he has to cuff at the ankle. He joins Alexis on the mat, and the second he’s in position, Alexis throws a jab. He dodges it, ducks out of the way of a second, and blocks a third, before finally throwing his first punch. Alexis ducks it easily, then goes low to kick Ted’s feet out from underneath him. She does catch him, but he follows his own momentum and is back on his feet before Alexis can pin him down. She dodges a few more blows, then Ted spins her with a shove to her shoulder and gets her in a headlock from behind. They both know she can get out of it, but he doesn’t necessarily expect her to fling him over her shoulder onto the mat the way she does.

He recovers and rolls away once more to avoid being pinned, also managing to swipe at Alexis’s ankle and knock her down. The grapple for a moment, until at last, Alexis gets Ted pressed into the mat on his stomach, sitting on his thighs and pinning his arm to his back. When Ted smacks the mat with his free, but fairly useless other hand, Alexis accepts her victory with a grin and leans down to speak right into Ted’s ear.

“Ted, will you-”

“ _Yes_ ,” he gasps, and Alexis has to bite her tongue, because that’s really kind of hot. But she has a very serious request for him.

“Pilot a Jaeger with me?” she finishes.

There’s a pause, and then Ted asks, “Were you testing our compatibility just now?”

Alexis lets up and coaxes Ted to turn onto his back. She leans over him, hands braced by his head, and she feels his hands settle on her waist. She’s not sure if he’s trying to keep her close or hold her back.

“What did you think we were doing?” she asks.

“I- I don’t…”

“Be my co-pilot,” she says. “Not because you love me, and not because I think I’ve loved you for a long time too. It’s even more than that. We clicked a long time ago, and if I have to go back into battle, there’s no one I trust more than you to fight alongside. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.” She sighs and shakes her head. “But look, you know what we’re up against. And if you don’t want to do this, I’ll understand. I do need your answer, like, now, but no matter what it is, I’m going to kiss you after you say it.”

“Yes,” Ted says, without hesitation.

“Okay, you caught the part where I said I’d kiss you either way, right?”

“I’m saying yes, Alexis. I feel it too. We’d kick ass.”

A giddy little laugh escapes Alexis, and she drops down and kisses him. It’s not her best kissing, she’s smiling too wide for that, but she feels him smiling against her lips too.

There’s a hum throughout the room, and suddenly, all the lights flicker off and on. Alexis sits up and listens, but no alarms sound, and the lights are back on quickly.

“Did we do that?” Ted asks.

Alexis swats him playfully on the shoulder, then stands and offers him a hand to pull him to his feet.


	7. Chapter 7

Maybe it’s thanks to the residual pull of the Drift that it doesn’t take Patrick long to find David, sitting cross-legged on a walkway several floors up. He’d slipped away while the technicians were still getting Patrick out of his suit, and he hopes David won’t mind his company. He’s staring straight ahead, arms folded on the railing, and he doesn’t move, even when Patrick sits down next to him.

It’s hard to know what to say once you’ve been in someone’s head. It seems wrong to ask if David is okay when he knows firsthand that he’s not. He looks over and notices that David has changed into a different sweater than the one he’d been wearing earlier. With his right hand crossed over to his left bicep, he has a bit of the fabric pinched between his thumb and index finger, worrying at what looks like very soft material.

“That doesn’t look PPDC-issued,” Patrick says.

“That’s because it’s not. It’s one of the last things I own that isn’t.” He wraps his arms around himself more tightly. “They should provide cashmere, though. It’s the only thing that grounds me after a Drift attempt.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“What’s left to say? You got to live it.”

“Why were you with the rescue team?”

David swallows hard, like he’s fighting back tears, and Patrick is about to tell him he doesn’t have to talk about it. But David takes a breath and begins the story. 

“We’d lost contact with them. It looked… so bad. I couldn’t sit around and wait around for someone to come back and tell me my sister was dead, so I basically commandeered a helicopter to go to her myself. She wasn’t dead. But neither was the kaiju. So then I thought I was going to witness her death from up in that useless helicopter, and there was nothing I could do. I don’t know how she got that last blast off. Only two other pilots have ever finished a fight solo before. Pentecost died from the lasting effects of the strain his solo run took, and Becket went to work on that useless Anti-Kaiju Wall after losing his brother mid-fight. It’s not something you just _do_ and are okay with after.”

Patrick nods. “It’s an understatement to say Alexis is a fighter. But I understand why it would be hard for you, as her brother-”

“You _don’t_ understand,” David interrupts. “Alexis has lost two co-pilots now. Do you have any idea what it’s like to have your co-pilot die while you’re still connected to them? I do, because Alexis does, and when I Drift with her, I can feel the pain and the fear she felt. The thought that I might feel that firsthand, or that I might cause that for her a third time… I don’t know how she’s standing.”

Patrick reaches over and puts a hand gently on David’s back. The cashmere he’s wearing is soft beneath his fingertips, but he keeps his touch light.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that again.”

David shakes his head. “It’s not your fault. It’s Stevie’s, if anything. But she was also right.” He finally looks over at Patrick. “Somehow, you and I are compatible.”

“Yeah,” Patrick says with a smile he can’t help. “We really had something for a minute there.”

David hums and looks ahead again, and Patrick takes his hand off of David’s back. After a beat, Patrick clears his throat.

“So you and Stevie…?”

David huffs. “I was wondering how much you got before I lost it. Yeah, Stevie and I met in the Jaeger program. She and her parents were in San Francisco on K-Day.”

“Jesus,” Patrick breathes. He can’t even begin to imagine what it would have been like to be present for the first kaiju attack. It had taken six days and the military force of two countries to finally stop Trespasser.

“Yeah. She lost them both. It’s what made her want to join the program. But she’s like me. Too messed up to Drift with anyone. We were off-the-charts compatible, but once we actually had to Drift…” David trails off. “Anyway, we comforted each other. We still do, just not… physically, anymore.”

Not wanting to seem too relieved, Patrick just nods.

“Any other questions about my deep-seated trauma or any of my exes?” David asks. “Sometimes those things overlap. My head is fun place to be. But you already know that.”

“I’ve probably put you through enough. Did you see anything you’d like to ask me about? Seems only fair.”

Patrick isn’t sure if he hopes or fears that David caught a glimpse of how he’s been feeling about him. He remembers the image he’d seen of himself through David’s eyes, and wonders if there was a corresponding image of David through Patrick’s eyes and what David could glean from it, if anything.

“I don’t remember much,” David confesses, and Patrick feels both relief and disappointment. “Mostly just your parents. Their love for you, your love for them. I think that’s what kept me steady at first.”

“That’s definitely what keeps me steady.”

David smiles that fond smile that, at this point, Patrick is undeniably falling for.

“Your hair was so curly when you were little,” he says. “You looked like a pretty babydoll. No wonder your cousins liked to dress you up.”

Patrick laughs. “You don’t remember much, but that sure stuck.”

“Oh, it was unforgettable.”

After a moment in silence, watching the technicians across the way inspecting Striker for damages, David speaks up again.

“There actually was something else.”

Patrick’s heart rate kicks up dangerously.

“While what happened was not your fault, I did feel something come from you that knocked me off balance. Who was that woman, and why do you feel so guilty?”

“Rachel,” Patrick sighs. “That was… she was my fiancée. She’s a doctor.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I proposed when it seemed like the obvious next step, and then we kept putting off the wedding for our work.” Patrick sighs. “Things were getting bad. I lost my job when funding dried up for the PPDC, and I was looking at getting back into a training program. That’s when Rachel suggested that we leave. Just… empty our savings, get a place inland. Get married and spend as much time as we could just being together.”

Patrick can feel David watching him now. He looks at his hands and pushes himself to continue.

“I told her we couldn’t. She’s so passionate about her job, even when it gets so hard. She wouldn’t have been able to just walk away. So I told her I was rejoining the Jaeger program. Which was true, but it wasn’t the only…” He takes a deep breath. “It was an excuse to break things off. It seemed kinder than saying, ‘I can’t be what you need me to be.’ I _wanted_ to want to throw it all away for love, but I guess that’s just not who I am. ”

David doesn’t say anything, and Patrick worries he’s made him uncomfortable. He swallows the lump in his throat and tries to move the conversation along.

“So yeah, there’s that. Was there, uh, anything else?”

“Why? Did I miss something?”

Patrick looks up, and David is so close. It would barely take any movement at all to just…

His gaze drops from David’s eyes to his mouth, and before he can process what a tell that must be, David leans in, just a little. Patrick matches the movement, and realizes that’s what David was looking for: permission. And now that Patrick has given it to him, David slides his hand up the side of Patrick’s neck, leaning all the way in to kiss him.

Around them, time seems to slow down, but Patrick’s brain feels like it’s going into overdrive trying to process all of the new emotions and sensations in just this one kiss. When David pulls back, Patrick tries to follow, but David turns his face away.

“I’m so sorry,” he says. “That was inappropriate. It must be Ghost-Drifting. We’re still feeling the connection, and I shouldn’t have…”

“It’s not Ghost-Drifting.”

“I know it’s hard to tell at first sometimes.”

“It’s not, David. It can’t be.” 

“Why? How do you-”

“Because I haven’t stopped thinking about you since I got here.”

_Oh no. Did he really just say that?_

“Um…” David says. That’s all he says. Patrick can feel himself turning red, and covers his face with his hands.

“I’m sorry.”

And then he remembers where they are, the circumstances of their meeting, and how one way or another, he’s getting into a Jaeger soon, and it might be the last thing he does. He drops his hands to grab the railing, bracing himself physically and emotionally.

“Look, I don’t know what this is. I’ve never even done that before… with a guy, I mean. I’ve never even noticed a guy the way I’ve noticed you. All I know is, every little thing I learn about you makes me want to know more. You’re smart and creative and caring and _annoyingly_ handsome and…”

David presses his lips together and his eyes go wide. Patrick loses his nerve.

“And now I need to go. I’m sorry.” He starts to stand, but David covers one of his hands on the railing with his. Patrick sits back down.

“You think I waltz with just anyone?” David asks softly.

Patrick can’t believe what he’s hearing. He meets David’s eye, and they both smile.

“Well, I don’t know, maybe,” Patrick says. “You seem very sociable. Super easygoing.”

“Okay,” David says with a half-hearted glare.

“So what now?” Patrick asks, leaning toward David.

“No fucking idea,” David says, and then Patrick is kissing him for a second time. David lets him control the kiss, allowing him to explore. He drops a hand from the railing to rest on David’s knee, pressing in closer. Patrick gets so lost in it, so lost in David, that he doesn’t even notice the footsteps approaching them.

“So I’m hoping this means you two are open to Drifting again,” Alexis says, startling them apart. Patrick turns to see that Ted is with Alexis too. He gives an awkward little wave from behind her.

“Um, what? Why? What?” David asks. “How do you even know that we…”

“We have a plan,” Alexis says. “So zip up and meet us in LOCCENT.”

“Ew! Alexis, we weren’t-”

But she’s already scurrying away with Ted. Patrick turns to look at David.

“Not ‘ew’ like I’m not… like I wouldn’t… if you were…” David tries to explain, and Patrick grins.

“Good to know. We should probably go see what that’s about though, right?”

David rolls his eyes and sighs. “I suppose.”

Patrick stands and offers his hand to David, pulling him to his feet and then tugging him in for one more kiss so he can revel in, among other things, the height disparity he’s never experienced before now.


	8. Chapter 8

“Come again?”

Johnny is standing with his hands on his hips, Stevie at his side. Ronnie is behind them, on the satellite phone with retired LOCCENT commander Tendo Choi, relaying his instructions to the technicians rushing around to get everything back in working order. In front of them, Alexis has gathered Ted, David, and Patrick.

“Okay I don’t know what part of this is confusing,” Alexis says. “We have two Jaegers. We have four pilots. We do the plan, but David and Patrick hit the Breach while Ted and I run defense.”

“It’s the four pilots part, Alexis,” Johnny says. “I see one pilot, a scientist who steals equipment for unauthorized experiments, and the two people who caused all of this!” He gestures at the frantic bustling around them.

“Well, you know what they say about good intentions.”

“That they pave the road to hell?!”

“No! That they’re… oh wait…”

“This is a bad idea, Alexis.”

“Worse than sending me and Patrick alone? Look, I will take responsibility for these guys. A few days training with me, and they’ll be ready to go.”

Before Johnny can argue further, Jocelyn joins the group, bouncing Roland Jr. in her arms.

“Sorry to interrupt guys and gals, but you actually might not have a few days,” she says. “Roland is still remembering things he saw when he Drifted with the kaiju brain-”

“I’m sorry,” David interrupts, raising a hand. “Did you just say Roland Drifted with a kaiju brain?”

“You miss a lot when you’re too busy sucking face,” Alexis whispers, loud enough for everyone to still hear. Patrick looks at his feet, and Stevie’s mouth drops open in delighted surprise.

“And how exactly did you figure out you were compatible with Ted, hmm?” David snipes back.

“ _Kids_ ,” Johnny warns, then turns back to Jocelyn. “What did Roland say?”

“Well, did anyone happen to consider that, since Drifting is a two-way street, that Drifting with a kaiju brain might tip them off that we were digging for information and maybe force them to attack sooner?” Jocelyn asks with a forced smile.

Everyone looks at Ted, who suddenly looks very pale.

“I um… probably should’ve, uh…”

Johnny covers his face with his hands and shakes his head.

“How long do we have?”

“Roland seems to think no more than a day based on how almost-ready they already seemed.”

“We’ll be cutting it close, but we can be ready tomorrow,” Stevie says. “Probably late in the day, but we can do it.”

“Okay. Okay,” Johnny says, hands returning to his hips. “Somebody get the most recent Breach readings to Ray to see if we can nail down exactly how much time we have until the next event.”

“I’ve got it,” Twyla says, coming up behind Stevie. Her hand is bandaged, and her ever-present smile is in place.

“Hey, are you okay?” Stevie whispers. “Maybe you should rest for a bit.”

“I’m good,” Twyla says, squeezing Stevie’s shoulder with her uninjured hand. “I wanna help.”

“Thank you Twyla,” Johnny says. He looks back to Alexis and the three would-be pilots. “You all still want to do this?”

They all nod except for David, but David sighs and doesn’t leave, which is his way of agreeing.

“Alright. Then just… do what you can to be ready. And I need a moment to talk to my kids.”

Ted and Patrick excuse themselves, and Stevie hangs back while Johnny confers with Alexis and David.

“Someone is going to have to tell your mother that you’re both doing this,” he says. “She becomes catatonic everytime Alexis goes into a fight. When she finds out David is going too…”

“I’ll do it,” Jocelyn calls from behind Johnny. “Sorry to eavesdrop, but I just… I can understand how she feels. It might be helpful to talk to another mom.”

Johnny nods. “Thank you, Jocelyn. She’s in the-”

“Kitchen pantry,” Jocelyn says. “I saw her this morning when I was looking for formula.”

* * *

It’s been a harrowing week for the Schitt family. Knowing the risks doesn’t make losing a child any easier. Jocelyn is so proud of Mutt, and she’s also thankful for Roland Jr. If it weren’t for her little Rollie, who needed her to be able to take care of him, she’d probably be off hiding somewhere right along with Moira.

The kitchen is mostly empty when Jocelyn pokes her head in. She heads over to the pantry she’d last seen Moira in and knocks on the door softly, hoping Roland Jr. will continue to sleep in her arms through this conversation.

“Moira?” She knocks again. “Moira, it’s Jocelyn.”

“Nobody’s home!” comes Moira’s voice from different cupboard behind Jocelyn. “Please leave word with Ms. Waverly in the foyer!”

Somehow, Rollie sleeps through the outburst, and Jocelyn turns to Moira’s new hiding spot and opens the doors. Inside, Moira is curled up with an open box of crackers, and a bottle of wine she got from who-knows-where. She’s wearing a frizzy, platinum blond wig - one of a surprising number of wigs she managed to bring with her to Hong Kong - and her eyeliner is smudged.

“Hi Moira,” Jocelyn says, sitting down on the floor in front of her. “How ya doing?”

“Oh Jocelyn,” Moira sighs. “You must find me absolutely pernicious to be in this state, when you…” She takes a shuddering breath. “I am so very sorry about… about Mm…”

“Mutt,” Jocelyn fills in for her.

“I just can’t imagine…”

“But you can,” Jocelyn says gently. “I know you can. We both imagined it, every time our kids went out there and fought those things. Yes, I’m grieving, but I wouldn’t expect you to stop worrying about Alexis. And now there’s also…”

“Also what, Jocelyn?”

She sighs. “Turns out, the new fella they brought in for Alexis? He’s actually more compatible with David.”

“David was able to Drift this stranger?”

“They have some kinks to work out, but yeah. Alexis seems to think they can pull it together.”

Moira gasps. “Does this mean Alexis is giving orders now, rather than carrying them out? Oh, that’s wonderful!”

“Oh no, no Alexis will still be going on the next mission. Turns out she’s compatible with Ted.”

Moira stares blankly at Jocelyn.

“Dr. Mullens?” Jocelyn says. “You know… lab coat, bad puns, surprisingly fit under the lab coat and all the bad puns?”

“Ah yes, yes. Oh… Oh that means…”

“Yeah.”

“Both of them?” Her voice trembles. “Both of my bébés?”

“Whatever happens next is going to happen soon, Moira. I think Johnny and your kids would love to see you.”

“It’s too much. It’s too much, I can’t…”

“Here.” Jocelyn carefully shifts her hold on baby Rollie and hands him to Moira, who accepts him, despite her confusion.

“Whenever this all feels like too much to me, I just look at him,” Jocelyn says. “He’s the future. And I just hope what we’re doing here makes a better world for him.”

Moira cradles the baby, looking at his round, sleepy little face.

“The future,” Moira whispers. “Yes. This cannot be the way of the world if you are ever to flourish.”

The baby coos, and Moira smiles, rocking him gently.

“Lucky for you, my bébés are all grown up, and they’re going to make the world right,” she continues. “Your big brother battled the virtuous bout as well. One day you’ll make him very proud in whatever endeavors you might pursue.”

Jocelyn smiles, wiping away tears.

“Oh I think mummy needs you back now,” Moira whispers. “Yes, here we go…”

Jocelyn takes Rollie back and stands. Moira doesn’t budge.

“Aren’t you coming, Moira? I thought, after what you just said…”

“Yes, Jocelyn, you have coerced me from my refuge. But I’m afraid I need a moment. My legs are in slumber.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have been so mad at myself if I hadn't squeezed that reference to Tendo in there. Remember when Tendo wasn't in the sequel? A tremendous oversight. Let's pretend he's in Germany with Newt and Hermann in this AU.


	9. Chapter 9

It’s not as if Patrick ever could have predicted how this last-ditch trip to Hong Kong would play out, but of all the guesses he could have made, falling for his intended co-pilot’s brother within his first hours there was not one of them. None of it makes sense, and at the same time, everything has fallen into place.

Patrick sits on his bed, holding his little tin of keepsakes. It seems like the thing to do when his next mission could be his last. But he can’t bring himself to open it. It feels too heavy to do alone. Everything in him is screaming to go to David, but he doesn’t know if he’s… allowed? They’d connected, they’d kissed, but “whirlwind” is an understatement, and they’re going to be right back in each other’s heads tomorrow, so giving David space seems like the polite thing to do.

 _The world is ending_ , he remembers. _To hell with polite._

Patrick stands and pulls his door open. David is standing right there, fist raised to knock.

“H-hi,” he says.

“Hi.” Patrick smiles. “Wanna come in?”

* * *

“I think I was nine here,” Patrick says, showing David the photo of him and his parents that he’s had to fold to fit in the tin. “Mom and dad and me, after my little league team won the championship.”

“I recognize them,” David says softly. He’s sitting close to Patrick on the bed, and the combination of their shared body heat and the absolute joy Patrick feels sharing his memories with David threatens to make his heart beat right out of his chest.

“And there are those curls again,” David says.

“Had a hard time keeping that flimsy ballcap on over them,” Patrick says. “Maybe when all of this is over I’ll grow them back out again.”

“Mm, promise?”

“Sure,” Patrick says with a little laugh.

He shows David everything. His favorite guitar pick. The ring Rachel had given back to him. A photobooth strip, accordion-folded, of Patrick and Rachel during happier times. A ticket stub from the last baseball game he’d gone to. His whole world in an Altoid tin. If David remembers these memories from the Drift, he doesn’t say so. He just listens.

Once he’s seen everything, he closes the tin and puts it back on the desk.

“So,” he says, sitting back on the bed. “Should we go get some training in? Do you guys have a simulator here?”

“We might,” David says. “Um I was supposed to let you know… Ray came by LOCCENT before I left. The predictions are saying we could be running up against a triple event tomorrow.”

Patrick blows out a breath. “Three kaiju, probably the biggest we’ll have ever seen. How does anyone prepare for that?”

“I don’t think we can,” David says. “I will, if you want. I’ll complain the whole time, but…” He trails off, fiddling with one of his silver rings.

“Or…” Patrick says.

“Or?”

Patrick was never particularly shy, even as a kid. But now, he’s so hesitant. They’ve already kissed, but…

David takes it upon himself to initiate while Patrick is busy overthinking. He slides a hand up the back of Patrick’s neck, and Patrick sighs, tipping his head back into the touch, then letting David pull him in for a kiss.

This kiss is hungrier than before, and from there, it’s easy for Patrick to match his fervor. He opens his mouth to David’s, moaning when David teases his tongue with his. Patrick bites David’s lower lip gently, which makes David grab hold of his waist, fingers digging in. Patrick inhales sharply, spine straightening, and before he can second-guess himself, he’s taking David’s face in his hands and swinging a leg over to straddle his lap. They’re still in sync, if David’s smile against his lips is anything to go by. Patrick suddenly needs to see that smile, so he pulls back. Unfortunately, this appears to worry David.

“Is this okay?” David asks.

“I feel like I should ask you that.”

David just looks at him for a moment, then lets go of Patrick’s waist and leans back on his elbows.

“What do you want?” he asks, in a way that’s borderline seductive. “We might only have… so whatever you want to do, we should…”

Patrick waits for him to complete his thought, but when he doesn’t, he leans forward, causing David to lie all the way back. Patrick braces his hands by David’s shoulders.

“What do _you_ want, David?”

“Whatever you-”

“No, David, please. That’s… very generous of you, but…”

“I’m a very generous person.”

Patrick smiles. “ _But_ … I don’t want this to be just about me. So, what do you want?”

There are a few false starts, David opening and closing his mouth before he finally says, “Just… just keep kissing me.”

So Patrick does, unable to help the undulation of his hips against David’s when David slides his hands up his back. The sensation is muted by the layers of their utility pants, but it’s enough to send a flash of heat through his body. Before Patrick realizes it, he has a hand under David’s sweater. He freezes, his fingertips on the warm skin of David’s stomach.

“Keep touching me,” David breathes, his own hands creeping up under Patrick’s sweater. “Please.”

“I can do that,” Patrick says, sliding his hand up under David’s sweater and kissing him hard. David makes a sound that knocks the breath out of Patrick, and then David is sitting up, pushing Patrick upright and tugging his sweater off over his head. His hands go to the hem of Patrick’s t-shirt, but then he pauses, looking at him for approval to keep going. Patrick gives it to him by reaching back to pull his shirt off by the collar, and David helps him get it the rest of the way off.

The feeling of being exposed to David’s ravenous gaze is thrilling, but more than anything, he wants to see more of David. He gets his hands back under his sweater and waits for David to raise his arms before pulling it off carefully. With the soft material in hand, Patrick looks around the room, then climbs out of David’s lap so he can lay the sweater over his desk chair. When he turns around, the devastatingly fond smile on David’s face tells him he’d made the right call. He watches as David pulls off his t-shirt, which is clearly not as prized of a possession as the sweater, given the way he tosses it on the floor. He swings his legs onto the bed so he can lay back properly when Patrick climbs back on top of him.

It’s hard to think much with David’s hands on his back, his tongue sliding against his, the scratch of his stubble against Patrick’s smoother jaw. The one thought Patrick can manage is how good this feels, how _right_ David’s body feels beneath his. He lifts up enough to drag his right hand up David’s chest, delighting in the feeling of the soft hair and the firm muscle. His palm drags over his nipple on its way up and David’s breath catches, his hands drifting down to grab Patrick’s ass and press their bodies closer together. Patrick groans, bringing his hand back down to do it again, but he stops short. He feels David’s heart hammering beneath his palm and can’t bring himself to move away. It’s not until David’s right hand leaves Patrick’s back that he realizes he’s been still for too long. But then David is sliding that hand up Patrick’s chest, resting over his heart too. His left hand comes up to cover Patrick’s hand on him.

They breathe together, their heartbeats syncing up. Patrick can’t tear his gaze away from David’s, and David isn’t looking away either. Patrick thinks he’s so beautiful, and that thought feels different from anything he’s felt before. He can’t resist rocking his hips, wanting more of this sensation, wanting to drown in it. Beneath his palm, David’s heart rate kicks up again, and then he’s being pulled into another desperate kiss.

* * *

David jolts awake and isn’t sure why. He’d grown used to the sounds of the Shatterdome, and he hadn’t been having one of his usual nightmares. Then he remembers that he hadn’t gone to bed alone.

The bed is small, and Patrick is no longer pressed up against him, so he must be gone. But once David sits up, he finds that Patrick only went as far as the end of the bed. Though he’s sitting with his back to him, David can tell he’s tense. And why wouldn’t he be? David knows better than to ask if he’s okay, or if he couldn’t sleep. But he should say something.

“Hey,” he settles on.

Patrick doesn’t look at him. He bows his head. “Did I wake you?”

“No. It’s a wonder I slept at all.” He’d like to make a joke, to thank Patrick for wearing him out enough to get the best hour or two of sleep he’s had in years, but it’s clear that Patrick isn’t up for that. So instead, he asks, “What is it?”

Finally, Patrick turns and reaches for David, his hand landing on his blanket-covered knee.

“Let’s not do it.”

David blinks. “What?”

“Let’s leave,” Patrick says. “Alexis and Ted can take Striker and get to the breach themselves. Let’s leave Hong Kong. My parents still live inland, we can go there.”

David shakes his head. He must be dreaming. “Ray predicted a triple event…”

“So they’ll be ready for it.”

“Patrick…”

“It’s not fair,” Patrick says, too loud then too soft, a dam breaking in him.

“No, it’s really not,” David agrees.

Patrick looks up at him, surprised.

“What, you think I’m happy about this?” David huffs ruefully. “For years I’ve dreamt of meeting someone who would sweep me off my feet and away from all this. And then I do. I meet you. And you sweep me off my feet, right into a Jaeger!”

He throws his hands up in frustration, and Patrick can’t help but laugh at his theatrics. It makes David smile for a moment too, before he has to look down at his hands in his lap for the next part.

“You make me want to fight, Patrick. You make me feel like I can. I’m finally going to be there to protect my sister. And if tomorrow is… if we don’t… I’ll just be happy I met you in time.”

He looks up, right into those brown eyes he’d clocked the moment Patrick had stepped off the helicopter the morning before.

“Maybe wanting to run away with you is enough,” Patrick says.

“It’s more than enough,” David says. “It’s more than I’ve ever had.” He lays back with his arms outstretched. “Come here.”

“I won’t be able to sleep,” Patrick says, even as he gets back under the covers and curls up under David’s arm.

“Me either,” David says. “But stay anyway.”

“It’s my room.”

“Shhh,” David hushes, pulling him closer.

Patrick smiles and kisses David’s collarbone. He settles in, resting his head against David’s chest. David listens to Patrick’s breathing go deep and even, and they both doze off for a little while longer.


	10. Chapter 10

David gets up a few hours later, pressing a kiss to Patrick’s cheek before rolling out of bed to get dressed, and then giving him another kiss on his lips before leaving. Patrick stays in bed a little longer, face pressed to the edge of his pillow. It smells like David, and whatever not-PPDC-issued shampoo he manages to still use. He wants him back here, wants to spend the rest of his days curled up with David. But they have a job to do.

He does the things he figures he should do. He freshens up, gets some food from the mess hall, writes a letter to his parents that he hopes they never have to read, then finds a training room with some equipment. Between the letter and the work out, he pokes his head into David’s lab, unsurprised to find him there, doing last minute touch-ups to Alexis’s suit. He walks into his line of sight so he doesn’t startle him, leans down to give him a quick kiss at is temple, and leaves him to his work.

A technician finds Patrick when it’s time for him to suit up. David isn’t in the Drivesuit Room when he gets there, and when he gets to the main floor at the heart of the Shatterdome, where they’re meant to meet, David isn’t there yet either. Ted is there, though, suited up and ready to go, helmet under his arm. When he sees Patrick, he meets him halfway and shakes his hand.

“You ready for this?” Ted asks.

Patrick opens his mouth, but can’t find his voice. He looks down at his feet.

“It’s okay, bud,” Ted says. “Me either.”

Patrick smiles sadly. “If anyone else asks…”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Patrick is prepared to stare at his helmet in his hands and stand in semi-awkward silence after that, but Ted is very friendly and likes to talk.

“So, you and David.”

Patrick looks up. “And you and Alexis.”

“Some timing we have, huh?”

“Seriously,” Patrick laughs. Ted laughs too, and pats Patrick on the back.

“Hey, I’m sorry I said that you suck. You definitely don’t. I was just trying to be supportive of Alexis.”

“Um… when did you say I-”

He doesn’t get to finish that question, because at that moment, they hear the bickering Rose siblings approaching.

“I’m just checking one more thing,” David is saying, walking behind Alexis with his hands at the back of the collar of her Drivesuit.

“Oh my god, leave it, David, it’s fine!” she says, trying to shake him off.

Once the four of them are together, Alexis sizes Ted and Patrick up.

“You’re right,” she says to David. “Seeing them in the Drivesuits helps.”

“Looking the part is half the battle,” David says.

“Is it?” Patrick asks, mostly to tease him.

“It is when you’re wearing my suits,” David says with a tiny smirk. “Hold this, please.”

Ted fumbles with David’s helmet as it’s shoved at him, and David goes around to the back of Ted’s suit. Patrick watches as he pries a panel open below his shoulder blade and inserts something the size of a memory card.

“Your suits?” Ted asks.

“My suits, my upgrades,” David says, reaffixing the panel. “That is a modification to the suit’s circulation. In an emergency, it’ll buy you a few extra minutes of oxygen.”

David moves to Patrick’s suit next, opening the same panel. With him, though, David rests the hand holding the panel cover on Patrick’s waist while he pops in the upgrade. When he closes the panel back up, he presses it in with both thumbs, then smooths his hands up and out across his shoulder blades, squeezing his shoulders before stepping back around to take his helmet back from Ted.

They’re saved from Alexis’s inevitable “get a room” comment when Johnny and Stevie come to join them.

“It’s just about time,” Johnny says, unable to hide his unease.

“Is mom coming?” Alexis asks.

“I don’t know. She came to bed last night, which I thought was a good sign, but she was gone this morning. We can’t really wait any longer.” Johnny looks around. “I should say some words. Get everyone… fired up…”

“Dad, no, please don’t do a speech,” David pleads.

“Yeah you don’t need to do that,” Alexis adds, and Stevie shakes her head in agreement.

But Johnny is already addressing the ‘dome with a tentative, “Excuse me,” and then a slightly stronger, “Excuse me, everyone!”

Some people stop what they’re doing and begin to circle around, but there’s still a lot of bustling throughout the building.

“Could I just have everybody’s-”

“ _ATTENTIOOON!_ ”

Moira’s voice is somehow both shrill and booming, and _everyone_ stops and turns toward the sound. Dressed in a black and gold gown that looks ready for both ball and battle, Moira heads for the center of the floor with her hands raised at shoulder height. Her head, adorned by a gold, crown-like headband, is held high.

“Is that your headband?” David whispers to Alexis.

“Ew, no. I think it’s made of zip ties.”

“Where did she get gold paint? Where did she get _zip ties_?”

They stop their whispering when Moira turns dramatically to address the ‘dome, the whole of which also falls into silence.

“Today,” Moira begins. “Today. We stand at a precipice today, with nothing but the courage in our hearts, and the certitude of our love for one another. We must remember that we the people of this astronomical sphere that we call Earth, who had the audacity to construct metal colossi in the face extraterrestrial threat, are not a people who will go quietly into the night. Today we are canceling this cataclysm, with no chance of a cast reunion!”

Mutterings of surprised approval arise around the room, and gradually, applause blooms around them. Moira takes a moment to bask in it, then turns to Johnny.

“I hope I did not tread on your phalanges, John.”

“No honey, that was perfect,” he says, clasping her hands in his. She brings their joined hands to her red lips to kiss, then turns to Alexis and David.

“Look out for one another,” she says, hugging them both. “And come back to me.”

They hug each other tightly for a long moment, and then Moira releases them, turning lastly to Ted and Patrick. She places a hand briefly, tenderly on their cheeks.

“You take care of my bébés now,” she says. Both men nod.

“It’s just about time,” Stevie interrupts reluctantly.

“Look alive, guys,” Alexis says, standing straighter. “It’s time to save the world.”

* * *

Stevie wants to be annoyed about how crowded the LOCCENT control room is for this, but the truth is, she feels safer with everyone there. She and Johnny are at the helm, with Ronnie and Twyla close by. Moira, sans spectacular handmade headband, has stayed to observe. Jocelyn is there with the baby, and Roland is on his feet, eyes still bloodshot, at her side. And with the alternative being waiting in the lab alone, Ray has joined the group to cheer Ted and the others on.

This time, the neural handshake between David and Patrick goes off without a hitch. The past 24 hours feature heavily in the memories they share to secure the initial connection, and it does a lot to ground them both in the present. Once Alexis and Ted are connected in Lady Danger, and once it seems likely that David and Patrick’s connection in Striker will hold, they set off for the Breach.

Helicopters take the Jaegers partway over the ocean, which conserves their energy, but gives them more time to get nervous. Patrick can feel David’s unease while they’re in the air, so he closes his eyes and thinks about the night before, about being in bed with David, wrapped up in one another, safe and warm. Warm might be and understatement.

The comms were left on in all directions in case David and Patrick’s connection was compromised again, and David reaches over to the controls to shut them off.

“That’s a very inappropriate use of the Drift,” he says.

“How do you know it was me? You were there too, maybe they’re your memories.”

“ _I_ would never think so highly of my body.”

Patrick laughs. “Alright you caught me. I was just trying to help.”

“I know.” He smiles over at Patrick. “I’m okay. I can do this. We can do this.”

Patrick feels a rush of pride for David, and he can tell by David’s bashful laugh that he felt it too.

They’re nearly there, so David makes sure their comms are open. Stevie warns them that they’ve detected Breach activity, and that they’ll likely have welcoming committee of kaiju waiting for them. She gives them a countdown a few minutes later, the helicopter cables release, and the two Jaegers drop into the ocean.

* * *

Operating a Jaeger on dry land is difficult enough. Operating one underwater is one hell of a workout. Alexis and Ted are out ahead in Lady Danger, because they’re supposed to be the frontline defense, but Alexis is unsatisfied with how far behind them Striker has fallen.

“Keep up, David!” Alexis calls over the comms.

“You know there’s two of us back here, right?” David shouts back into his mic.

“How’s your visibility?” Patrick asks. “We can barely see you ahead of us.”

“Not good for us either, but we should be coming up on the Breach any minute now,” Ted replies. “Stevie, anything?”

 _“We’re picking up signals near the Breach,”_ she replies. _“It only looks like two though, just circling.”_

“Are we sure there’s three?” Patrick asks. “Maybe it’s just-”

As if on cue, the third kaiju appears at Striker’s left, ramming into it like a freight train. David and Patrick manage to plant one of Striker’s feet and grab hold of the kaiju, using their momentum to spin and push some distance between it and them.

“See, just like dancing!” David pants.

“Not any kind of dance I’ve ever done!” Patrick replies.

When they get into position for the next attack, they get a good look at their opponent for the first time.

“Oh _fuck_ ,” David whispers.

“LOCCENT, are you seeing this?” Patrick asks, a quaver in his voice. “Is that…”

Striker scans the kaiju and sends the readings back to LOCCENT. Stevie sees the numbers, but the report errors out before it can officially deliver a designation. They all know, though.

 _“Category V,”_ Stevie confirms, with the same fear in her voice as them. _“First ever.”_

The kaiju is massive, nearly three times as big as a Jaeger. It doesn’t charge at them, but it doesn’t have to, choosing instead to swing it’s triple-crowned tail at them.

“No no no no…” David is saying, because he knows, there’s no time for them to dodge it.

“Brace for impact!” Patrick shouts, and they bring Striker’s arms up in front of them. They manage to minimize some damage to their front, but are sent flying back, Striker’s back crashing hard up against a rock formation.

“We’re coming, you guys, hang on!” Alexis says, as she and Ted turn Lady around.

They’re closing distance as quickly as possible when Ted shouts, “Left!”

They turn just in time to brace against another kaiju ramming into them, and are able to land some blows against it. While it’s knocked away, they activate the right hand sword, but they never get the chance to use it. From behind them, a third smaller, faster kaiju strikes, taking Lady Danger’s right arm clean off the Jaeger’s body, and sending them stumbling back, right to the edge of the Breach.

The sensors inside their suits go wild, and Alexis screams in both pain and anger. She and Ted activate the plasma cannon in the left arm and take a reckless shot, which misses low and hits the Breach.

Except it doesn’t actually _hit_. The blast fizzles out inches above the surface, not actually doing any damage. While Alexis and Ted process this, their first attacker returns to smash into one of Lady Danger’s knees, mangling it. Alexis and Ted manage to switch to the sword on their remaining arm and spear the kaiju into the ocean floor. They keep hold of it for only a moment before it breaks free and knocks Lady backwards, several yards away from the Breach.

“We have a problem,” Patrick says, as he and David get Striker Eureka back on its feet and scan their surroundings for the kaiju. “Our back took a bad hit and the release for the bomb is jammed. We’re not gonna be able to deliver the payload.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Alexis says. “Plasma blast bounced right off.”

“What?!” David gasps.

“Hold that thought, guys,” Ted says.

The smaller, faster kaiju is heading straight for Lady Danger. Alexis and Ted heave the Jaeger to its feet and deploy the sword. When the kaiju is an arm-and-sword’s length away, they thrust the weapon out, and the kaiju impales itself on it. Alexis and Ted push forward and up through the kaiju’s body, slicing it all the way down the middle. When it flops to the ground, oozing its luminous blue blood into the water, Alexis says a silent thank you to Mako Mori for the addition of the swords.

* * *

LOCCENT falls into a deathly silence at the revelation that attacks still aren’t hitting the Breach.

“What are they supposed to do now?” Stevie asks, looking to Ronnie, then to Johnny. They both look as lost as her.

The silence in the room stretches on, until Roland breaks it with a heavy sigh.

“That is _rough_ ,” he says. “It’s too bad the Breach only lets kaiju through.”

Everyone turns to look at Roland.

“What did you just say?” Johnny asks.

“That’s rough?”

“The Breach only lets kaiju through, you said the Breach only lets kaiju through!”

“Well yeah,” Roland says. “It’s fascinating, their DNA seems to act like a barcode, you know? The Breach scans the kaiju and, _beep_ , let’s them through.”

“You didn’t think to tell us this before we sent them out there?!” Johnny shouts. Moira puts her hand on his shoulder to calm him, but he continues to seethe.

“Gimme a break Johnny, I almost died getting that information.”

“Nobody _told_ you to drift with a kaiju brain, Roland!”

“Okay, okay,” Jocelyn cuts in. “But he did, and now we have this… belated information. So maybe we should let the the kids know?”

Stevie removes her hands from her head, where she’d placed them in disbelief, and gets on the comms.

“Striker, Lady. Only kaiju get in and out of the Breach. That’s why the attacks bounce.”

“Where did _this_ information come from?!” David shouts, voice high with frustration.

“Don’t ask,” Stevie mutters.

“Okay, so we grab the kaiju that Lady killed and we ride it in,” Patrick says.

“Not you,” Alexis cuts in. “Us.”

“Alexis, what are you-”

Alexis hushes David. “Listen. You have a bomb strapped to your back that you can’t launch. We have one in our chest.”

“The core,” Ted says. "Lady runs on a nuclear core.”

“The reactor will take longer to detonate than the bomb,” Alexis continues. “We’ll have more time to get back out of there than you would.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” David asks.

There’s a pause, then Alexis addresses LOCCENT.

“Stevie, would they have time to get out if they detonated the bomb while it was still strapped to them?”

“You want us to clear a path,” Patrick realizes.

 _“I… I don’t know. It’s too close of a call to say for sure,”_ Stevie says. _“We can’t trigger it remotely, so one of them would have to do it before they could get into the escape pods.”_

_One of them. Only one of them needs to set the bomb off._

David isn’t sure who the realization originates from. All that matters is that he beats Patrick to acting on it.

David’s hand shoots out to the controls, and he activates the escape protocol for Patrick’s side only. Patrick’s rig extends, moving him into horizontal position.

“What… no!” Patrick tries fruitlessly to fight the ejection sequence. “David, don’t, please!”

“I’m sorry,” David says. “I’m so sorry, but I need you safe. It’s going to be okay. I can do this!”

Patrick continues to plead, but there’s no turning back. The system secures him in his escape pod and launches him out from the top of Striker.

“I can do this,” David says again, to himself. He activates the emergency protocols, gritting his teeth as he’s pulled into Patrick’s rig, taking control of his side as well as his own.

 _“David,_ what _are you doing?”_ Stevie asks, both furious and frightened. _“The neural load is gonna be too much!”_

“I only need to hold it for a minute,” David says, though he’s already feeling the strain. “Alexis, Ted, stay clear!”

The two of them haul their damaged Jaeger behind some rocks.

“That’s the best we can do, or we’ll never make it back to the Breach,” Alexis says. “David, are you sure-”

“Don’t ask me that,” he says. “And don’t try to talk me out of this. Let me do this for you.”

With great effort, he advances Striker toward the Breach, where the two remaining kaiju have gone back to stand guard. The movement doesn’t seem to be enough to convince them to attack, so he readies the missiles. He feels his nose start to bleed as Striker opens fire, but it has the desired effect of pissing the kaiju off. As soon as they charge at him, David initiates the terrifyingly short countdown on the bomb, and then the escape sequence.

“Stevie,” he says, as his rig extends and prepares him for ejection. “I never told you this, but I think you’re my best friend.”

Over the comms, Stevie lets out a watery scoff. _“You think?”_

“I wasn’t sure. I’ve never had a best friend before.” David is secure in his pod, and it launches out of the Jaeger. “It’s funny the things that become very clear when you’re about to-”

David feels more than hears when the bomb detonates, like a kick to his back by a giant, steel-toed boot. His pod spins and tumbles, he can’t catch his breath, and then everything goes black.


	11. Chapter 11

The ocean displaced by the bomb comes crashing back down on Lady Danger where it’s crouched and braced for the impact. When the water settles, there’s no sign of either kaiju.

“Did they make it out?” Alexis asks into the comm. “David, did David make it out in time?”

Back in LOCCENT, Stevie is staring at their tracking display, vaguely aware that Twyla is squeezing her hand. Only one escape pod is appearing on their radar, which would be bad enough. But because they’d been able to track Patrick from the beginning, she knows for a fact that it’s David, her closest friend, who’s lost at sea.

“We’re tracking them both,” Ronnie lies, taking over for Stevie. “You just worry about getting to the Breach. Tell me you didn’t lose the kaiju carcass in the blast.”

“We got it,” Ted says, as they hobble over to pick up half of the speedy little kaiju they’d bisected.

They limp their way to the Breach. The damage to Lady Danger is so extensive, they’ll probably have to roll in, but they’re almost there. 

And then, from the other side of the chasm, the Category V kaiju rises, charred but menacing as ever.

 _“Oh god,”_ Stevie says, seeing it too. _“It’s still alive.”_

“Are you _fucking_ kidding me?” Alexis says through gritted teeth.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Ted asks. Alexis gives him an exasperated look, and he shakes his head at himself. “Right, obviously.”

They drop the kaiju corpse and charge full-speed at the Category V. It’s still not enough momentum, so when they take the leap, they activate the rockets in Lady’s feet for an extra boost, grabbing hold of the colossal creature with all their strength. It thrashes its deadly tail, taking chunks out of Lady’s back and side. They deploy the sword from their remaining arm once more and plunge it into the kaiju to slow it down and keep their hold. A sharp pain zings through the sensors in Alexis’s left arm, and she hears Ted shout, but he doesn’t let up with the sword, and neither does she. 

Pushing becomes falling, and then at last, they’re plunging kaiju-first into the breach. 

Everything around them looks hazy, almost dreamy. The retract the sword from the now-dead kaiju and they float apart, sinking slowly down, down, into an alien underworld.

Alexis assesses the damage. The last blow to Ted’s side had been a bad one, and he appears to be half-conscious at most. The AI voice rattles off the list of failing systems, including Ted’s critical oxygen levels. Alexis disconnects her oxygen and gives it to him, and after a moment, his eyes flutter open and are able to focus on her. She reaches out and places a hand gently on the side of his helmet.

“We’re almost done,” she says. “I’m gonna get you out of here, okay? The hard part’s over.”

“Alexis…” Ted says weakly.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” she says. With a smile, she takes one finger and taps his face shield over his nose. “See you on the other side.”

With that, she gets him ready to eject, activates the core meltdown, and then sets her own escape route. With the countdown going, her rig jams, and the system informs her that her escape pod is damaged.

“Hell no,” she says. “Not like this.”

She disengages from her rig and opens the panel below the controls. Inside is a first aid kit and some other emergency supplies. She finds what she’s looking for - a heavy duty bungee cord - and fastens it to her suit. She scales the side of the cockpit, slipping on the damaged metal, and is just barely able to grab onto Ted’s pod, securing herself to it with the cord. She settles on top of the pod, spares a passed-out Ted one last glance, then squeezes her eyes shut and holds on for dear life as the pod is ejected. They make it back through most of the layers of the Breach and are nearly at the surface when the force of Lady Danger’s nuclear core exploding below catches up to them. Alexis slips off the pod, and has to hope the cord will hold long enough to drag her to the surface.

* * *

When Patrick’s escape pod breaks the ocean’s surface, it’s nearly sunrise. He opens the front panel of the pod, takes off his helmet, and sits up, scanning his surroundings frantically. It’s still dark enough that it’s difficult to see, and he’s about to get on the comms and ask if they’re tracking David, when he hears Stevie on the line.

_“Oh god. It’s still alive.”_

Patrick slumps in his pod. He’d felt the force of the explosion, so he knows David managed to detonate the bomb. But if David didn’t make it, and one of the kaiju was still alive, what was the point?

He doesn’t want to interrupt, so he listens and tries to piece together what’s happening, until eventually, a woman’s voice speaks directly to him over the comms.

_“Patrick?”_

“Hello? Yeah, I’m here.”

_“Hey, this is Twyla. We didn’t officially meet, but I work closely with Stevie. Are you okay? Are you injured?”_

“No, I’m fine. I’m just… trying to follow what’s happening. And also, I… I…”

_“You’re wondering about David. Well, the bad news is that we haven’t been able to track his pod. But the good news is that there are a number of reasons that might happen. The tracker may just be damaged. Also, the force of the blast might mean he won’t resurface in the same place as you. Keep your eyes peeled, and I will too, okay?”_

“Okay,” Patrick says, not as comforted by this as he thinks Twyla intended. “Are Alexis and Ted okay? I heard… one of the kaiju survived?”

_“It did, but they’ve just used it to enter the Breach.”_

Patrick lets out a sigh of relief. “Good. That’s good.”

_“We’re just waiting for them to detonate the core. Let’s wait together, okay? I’m here with you.”_

“Thank you, Twyla.”

While he waits, he keeps his head on a swivel. The sun begins to rise, but Patrick still can’t see anything around him except water. He doesn’t know how much time has passed when Twyla’s voice returns in his ear.

_“They did it! The Breach is collapsing! They did it!”_

Patrick smacks his hand on the side of the pod in celebration, overwhelmed by what this means. It’s over. The war is over.

“Twyla, did they make it out?”

There’s a pause before Twyla answers. _“We’re only tracking one pod.”_

Patrick’s heart sinks once more. He scans the water again, hope withering in his chest. Just when he’s about to sit back in defeat, he sees light catch on something metallic in the water. He stands and squints in the direction of it, watching the waves rock and rock until he sees it again. This time, it’s more than a glint. It’s the shiny, metal edge of an escape pod.

He dives into the water and swims over to the partially submerged pod. When he peers in, he almost sobs in relief.

“David.” Then, into the comm, “Twyla, LOCCENT, David’s here!”

The pod is severely damaged, and has taken on some water. Patrick climbs on and opens it, then climbs carefully inside. David is unconscious, and Patrick can’t find his pulse through the thick material of their suits. He’s afraid to move him too much, so he opens the faceguard of his helmet. David is sporting a dried up nosebleed, but there are no other visible injuries. Patrick leans in close and is hit with another wave of relief when he hears and feels David’s breath.

“He’s alive!” he gasps. “Stevie. Stevie, he’s alive.”

“Good. Good.” For a moment, that’s all she can say, breathlessly. “Good. Just um… hang tight. The choppers are on the way.”

Patrick places a gentle hand on the side of David’s helmet.

“I never doubted you could fight,” he whispers. “But I need you safe too. I’ve got you now. It’s gonna be okay.”

He has to tear his gaze away from David when, in the distance, something breaks the water’s surface with a splash.

“Stevie, I see another pod,” Patrick reports. “Is that the one you’re tracking?”

_“Yeah. Yeah, looks like it.”_

He has to wait until the passenger opens the pod and takes off their helmet to see that it’s Ted. Patrick is about to call out for him when Ted dives over the side and into the water. For a moment, Patrick thinks he’s fallen in, but when he reemerges, he’s not alone.

* * *

Ted comes to just as his pod is surfacing. It takes him a minute to reorient himself, and the waves lapping at him don’t help. When he feels less dizzy, he opens the pod, sitting up and taking his helmet off, only to drop it in his lap when the pod jerks, and he has to hang onto the sides. After a second, it jerks again, and he knows it’s not just the waves. He looks over the side, and the second he sees the cord clipped to the pod, he throws himself over into the water.

At the other end of the cord, he finds Alexis, and not a moment too soon. She gives the cord one last tug before her arm goes limp, falling slowly through the water. Ted wraps an arm around her waist and brings them back up to the surface.

He hauls Alexis into the pod and gets her helmet off. It takes her a moment to blink her eyes back open, but when she sees Ted looking down at her, she smiles.

“Hey,” she says, her voice thin. “Did we do it?

“We did,” he says, smiling. “You did.”

“Mm, mm-mm,” she disagrees. “It takes two to, um…”

“Tango?”

“I was gonna say kill a kaiju, but sure. David did always like to think of it in dance terms.” Her brow furrows and she squeezes Ted’s arm. “Is David okay?”

Ted looks over where he can just make out Patrick kneeling in one of the pods. He sees the second pod floating close by, and doesn’t know yet what to make of that.

“Patrick is with him,” he says.

“Good,” she sighs, closing her eyes. “Water skiing’s a lot harder underwater,” she mumbles. “I’m just gonna… just wake me up when the choppers get here.”


	12. Chapter 12

Miraculously, Alexis is fine.

She’s banged up and exhausted, but the doctors they fly in to the Shatterdome to do blood work find no traces of kaiju blue or any other mysterious toxins from her swim through kaiju-land. They’re hesitant to agree that the experimental coating David had applied to Alexis’s suit is what protected her, but Alexis insists that it’s one of multiple things her brother had done to save her life.

The doctors also see to David, but his prognosis is less clear. They treat his injuries, but he still hasn’t woken up. Patrick practically has to be held down to let the doctors check him out, and the second he’s allowed to leave, he’s at David’s bedside, where he more or less lives for the next few days.

At one point, Stevie brings him the satellite phone and tells him his parents are on the line. It’s a relief just to know they’re calling, but he’s wholly unprepared to explain why, despite their tremendous victory, he feels completely gutted. He just looks at Stevie, desperate and lost, and she understands.

“Mr. and Mrs. Brewer,” she says into the phone on his behalf, “I want to assure you that Patrick is recovering just fine. His co-pilot, though… they became very close. No, it was Alexis’s brother, actually. He’s… we still don’t know yet. I’m familiar with the work you do, so I know you understand how hard this can be on a pilot. Yes, of course, we’ll get him on the phone as soon as possible.”

Patrick can’t even find it in him to voice his gratitude, but Stevie nods at him before she leaves all the same. He hears her sniffle out in the hall and wants to comfort her, but his own grief has left him paralyzed.

* * *

“Patrick.”

By the time he registers Ted’s voice, gentle but insistent, Patrick figures he’s been trying to get he attention for some time now. In the past few days, everything has faded into the background, except for David, lying there in small bed in the med bay. He forces himself to look over at Ted.

“Hey,” Ted says with a sad smile. “You should really get some rest.”

“I was cleared.”

“I know. But if you don’t get some sleep soon, I’m gonna have to un-clear you. I’m a doctor, I can do that.”

“Ted, I can’t,” Patrick says weakly.

Ted comes closer and offers Patrick the hand that isn’t in a sling.

“Someone will come get you if there’s any change.”

 _When_ , Patrick wants to argue. _When_ there’s a change. But now that attention has been called to it, he can feel the exhaustion heavy in his limbs. He’s tempted for a long moment to take Ted’s hand, but he shakes his head.

“There’s gotta be something. What about Drift tech? Can’t you… can’t we…”

Ted drops his hand and shakes his head, but before he can speak, a voice comes from the doorway.

“ _The Drift Between Us_.”

They look over, though they already know the voice to be unmistakably Moira’s.

“Mrs. Rose?” Ted asks curiously.

“ _The Drift Between Us_ ,” she repeats, stepping into the room and up to David’s bedside. “A romantic drama in which I played the mother of a comatose daughter. Don’t remember it?”

Ted and Patrick both shake their heads tentatively.

“That’s because it was swiftly vellicated from the network, following lawsuits from multiple healthcare providers,” she explains. “Families of comatose loved ones began demanding the use of drift technology to communicate with said loved ones, as my film daughter’s tenacious beau had done.”

“But there’s too much potential for further damage to the brain and body,” Ted says.

“Precisely,” Moira says, gently placing a hand on her son’s temple. “It’s a lovely thought. But like all of my work, with the exception of the Sunrise Bay retrospective documentary, it was merely fiction.”

She removes her hand from David and goes to Ted, placing a hand on his arm and whispering, “Allow me.”

Ted nods with a somber smile and leaves Moira with Patrick. When they’re alone, Moira sits on the corner end of the bed. She doesn’t say anything, like she’s waiting for Patrick to speak first, which he does.

“You asked me to protect him,” he says. “I’m so sorry-”

“Now now,” Moira says. “I was ensconced in a pantry when you arrived. How was I to know that my David had found in you someone of his own to protect?”

“It should’ve been me.”

“And do you not think he would be saying the same thing if it had been you? You did all that you could.”

“I didn’t-”

“You enkindled a flame that has always smoldered within him. The world saw frailty in his empathy, but I always knew it to be his strength.” She rests her hand on David’s. “I fear this would have been the battle that finally claimed my Alexis. But thanks to you and Theodore, both of my bébés have returned to me. David is just running a bit behind. Fashionably late, if you will. It is so like him.”

It’s almost a comforting thought. David is on his way. He just needs a little more time.

“Now,” Moira says. “He would not want you immolating yourself at his bedside. So go. Find repose. Someone will fetch you when David decides to join us.”

It seems wrong to argue with David’s mother, so Patrick nods, asks David one last time in his mind to come back to him, and heaves himself out of his chair.

His feet somehow get him back to the hall where his room is. He takes the steps up to his door and pauses, turning to look across the way at David’s door. He remembers David’s wide, guilty eyes staring at him from that doorway when Patrick had caught him looking. Had that only been a few days ago? Without full sign-off from his brain, his feet take him across the hall to David’s room.

He opens the door to an unsettling stillness. And yet, the room feels like David. The little bed stands out comically against the dinginess of everything else, made up with pristine white and black bedding. Trying to imagine the kind of bartering David must have had to do to get it almost makes him laugh. 

The wall above the desk is covered with Drivesuit designs, and pages torn from both fashion and tech magazines. There’s a sketchbook on the desk, which Patrick traces the cover of with his finger, but doesn’t open. It would be an invasion of privacy. David isn’t gone.

He turns back to the bed and notices something, folded up and almost blending in with the runner across the end of the mattress. He goes over and runs his hand over it, then picks it up, letting it unfold. It’s David’s cashmere sweater. He holds it to his chest, pressing his face into the collar.

 _It’s the only thing that grounds me after a Drift attempt_ , David had said. Patrick would love to feel tied to anything right now, but most of all to David. Being in his head, and then not being able to feel his mind anymore, not knowing where he’s gone, is agony. He sets the sweater back down on the bed, and takes off his own. Carefully, because David would probably warn him not to stretch the collar, he pulls the cashmere on. He sits on the bed and wraps his arms around himself, trying to soak in the warmth. After a moment, he tips onto his side, too exhausted to stay upright any longer. His last thought before he succumbs to unconsciousness is that he hopes he’ll dream of David.

* * *

A distant pounding sound pulls Patrick out from his deep sleep. He’s disoriented and his whole body aches from being curled up in the same position for what must have been hours. The sound comes more into focus as he unfolds his limbs, stretching out. Once his eyes adjust to the dim light, he remembers he’s in David’s room. The pounding isn’t on the door of this room, but one of the others out in the hall. It could be on the door of his room.

He’s on his feet so quickly, he gets a head rush. He flings the door open and there’s Stevie across the hall, knocking on his door. She turns around, and about half a dozen emotions play over her face, ending in the biggest smile he’s seen from her.

“He’s awake,” she says.

The relief that washes over Patrick is so intense, his legs nearly give out.

“Can I… I can go-”

“Go,” she says, and he takes off running down the hall.

* * *

Stevie intends to follow Patrick back to the med bay, and possibly give him a hard time about helping himself to David’s sweater, but she suddenly realizes how long she’s been on her feet. She may not have been at David’s bedside like Patrick, but she’s hardly slept since the Breach collapsed, spending hours pacing around LOCCENT and praying to deities she doesn’t believe in. With David awake, she finally feels like she can rest for a moment, so she does, sitting right there on the ground with her back against Patrick’s door. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, feeling tears coming on. She knows she should let it happen, but she really hates crying.

“Hey.”

Stevie looks up to see Twyla standing over her.

“Hey,” Stevie sighs.

“Are you okay?”

Stevie nods. “David’s awake. Just came to tell Patrick. He’s…” She trails off and waves a hand down the hall to indicate that he’s left.

“That’s great news!” Twyla says. “We should celebrate. Maybe with some food? When’s the last time you ate?”

“I don’t know,” Stevie says. “I um… I don’t think I can move.”

“I can bring you something.”

“Could you just… could you sit with me for a minute?”

“Of course.” Twyla sits on the ground next to her. “Did you want to talk?”

Stevie shakes her head, so Twyla just sits with her. But Stevie does want to talk. She needs to.

“I almost lost my best friend,” she says.

“I know,” Twyla replies. “But he’s okay. He’s going to be fine.”

“I know. So why do I…” Stevie has to work to find the words for what’s weighing on her. It helps to know that Twyla is the last person who would judge her. She takes another deep breath. “I should be happier, shouldn’t I? We won. It’s over, David is okay. I just… I have no idea what happens now. None of this brings my family back. The only family I have is here, and if we’re done… what happens to me now?”

She sniffles, unable to fight the tears anymore.

“Well, for what it’s worth,” Twyla says, “There’s the cleanup to deal with. We’ll all probably be here a little while longer.”

Stevie laughs and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “Yeah, that’s great.”

“And anyway, you don’t just stop being a family after what we’ve been through.”

Stevie shakes her head. “How are you always so positive?”

Twyla shrugs. “As long as you and Ronnie and the Roses and the Schitts were still in the fight, I had a reason to keep my head up. And now that this is all over, well… you’ll always mean a lot to me.” She places her hand on Stevie’s knee. “You’ll always be my friend.”

A swell of hope displaces the uncertainty and dread and suddenly, Stevie can’t control the overwhelming urge to kiss Twyla. So she does, chaste but full of the warmth only Twyla manages to stir within her, cradling her face in her hands. Just as quickly as she’d done it, she pulls away, hands covering her mouth.

“I’m sorry,” Stevie says through her fingers. “I don’t know where that came from.”

Twyla smiles, looking down and tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Maybe it came from late nights working on restorations? Midnight breakfasts in the mess hall? Rounds of Pac-Man in LOCCENT before Mr. Rose comes up.” She shrugs, taking Stevie’s wrists and lowering her hands. “Take your pick.”

This time, Twyla kisses her, and for the first time, this end feels like it could give way to a new beginning.

* * *

Patrick skids to stop at the end of the hall outside the med bay, willing his heart rate to settle as he walks the rest of the way to David’s room. He hesitates when he hears Alexis’s voice coming from the room, but then he hears David too, and he can’t wait another moment to see him. With a gentle knock on the already open door, he steps in.

David is sitting up, looking tired but very much awake and alive. Alexis is sitting next to him, on the edge of his bed, filing his nails. He sits up a little straighter when he sees Patrick.

“Am I interrupting?”

“Not even a little bit,” David says.

They just look at each other for a moment, until Alexis clears her throat pointedly.

“I can take a hint,” she says, pocketing the nail file. “I have to go see Ted anyway.”

Before she leaves, she fusses with David’s hair until he swats her away. On her way out, she taps Patrick on the tip of his nose with a little, “Boop.”

Slowly, Patrick steps the rest of the way into the room, sitting in the chair that he’d sat in for days while David slept.

“Hi.”

“Hi. Nice sweater.”

Patrick looks down at the black cashmere he’d forgotten he was wearing.

“Just keeping it warm for you,” he says. “And I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to kick Alexis out. You should be with your family.”

“Oh um, I woke up to my mom leading my dad and Alexis in the singing of a Bosnian lullaby. So I’m good on family time.”

“Wow. If I’d known that’s what it would take, I would’ve been here singing you Bosnian lullabies days ago.”

“It’s a major medical discovery. We should alert the Mayo Clinic.”

They both laugh. Patrick looks down at his hands in his lap, not knowing what to say next. So David slides his hand over to the edge of the bed until Patrick catches on and reaches out to hold it.

“I missed you,” Patrick whispers.

David sighs, the corner of his mouth quirking into a little smile. “I was here the whole time.”

Patrick rolls his eyes. “Yeah, but it’s less fun talking to you when you don’t talk back.”

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“So how long is it gonna take you to get a coma’s worth of this snark out of your system?”

“Stick around and find out?”

Patrick can’t think of anything else he’d rather do, and he says so by standing so he can lean over and kiss David. He means to keep it brief and gentle, but one of David’s hands slides up the back of his head, holding him closer so David can kiss him longer.

When they part, Patrick falls back in his seat, holding David’s hand in both of his.

“Are you mad at me?” David asks.

“Why would I be-”

“For ejecting you.”

“Oh. I’m not mad. I was just… scared.”

“I was too. That’s why I did it.”

“Well… I’d say next time, you should let me help you. But thanks to you, there won’t be a next time. So I guess it all worked out.” He sits up straight and clears his throat. “David Rose, you just saved the world from alien invasion. What are you gonna do now?”

“Well I think Alexis actually gets top-billing for saving the world,” David says. “Not that I didn’t give a notable supporting performance…”

“You really are Moira Rose’s son, aren’t you.”

“What am I going to do now, you asked?” David says, ignoring Patrick’s needling. “I would like to go somewhere, anywhere, that has a bed big enough for the both of us.”

“What do you mean?” Patrick asks, standing again. “We’ve got one right here.”

David huffs and grumbles, but attempts to make room when Patrick tries to climb into the tiny hospital bed with him. In the arranging of their limbs to make this work, Patrick accidentally leans too hard into David’s shoulder, making him hiss in pain.

“Sorry, sorry,” he says, moving to climb back off the bed. But David grabs his arm and pulls him back into him.

“Don’t you dare.”

Patrick smiles and lets David settle them into a position that’s comfortable for him. Snuggled up close, with Patrick’s head on his chest, David brings his fingers up to play with the short hair at the nape of his neck.

“So are you gonna make good on your promise?” he asks.

“Um. I’m severely sleep deprived. Can you remind me what I promised?”

“To grow out your curls,” David says, drawing a spiral with his finger behind Patrick’s ear.

“Right. I can do that. You find us that big bed, and I’ll grow my hair out.”

“You know what else I wanna do?” David asks. “I wanna take you dancing. Actual for-fun dancing. Somewhere with good music and good drinks. Would you do that with me?”

It really hits Patrick, then, that they’ve won back a chance at a future. They have time now to get to know each other better on their own terms, not just through the Drift while an impending apocalypse looms. They can dance. They can drink. They can fall in love.

“Yeah,” Patrick says. “Anywhere you wanna go. I’m there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am always grateful to anyone reading anything I've written, but if you're here because you read this entire monster (or kaiju, haha) of a fic I am extra, extra grateful. Thank you! 🙏


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